l£x  ICtbrtfi 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


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Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/hudsonriverfromoOObaco_0 


By  EDGAR  MATHEW  BACON 

TKe  Hudson  River  from  Ocean 
to  Source 

Historical  —  Legendary  —  Pict\aresq\ie 

8°.    With  over  loo  Illustrations. 

CKronicles  of  Tarrytown  and 
Sleepy  Hollow 

i6°.    With  23  full-page  Illustrations. 
G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

New  "YorK  London 


The 

Hudsoi 

River 

The  ''Half-Moon"  on  the  Hudson  —  i 
From  a  painting  by  L.  W.  Seavey 

With  1 

ui  liic  lit 


rk  ani 


,odi  —  noabuH  ooM-1 


The 

Hudson 

River 


From 
Ocean  to 
Source 


Historical — Legendary — Picturesque 
By 

Edgar  Mayhew  Bacon 

Author  of'*  Chronicles  of  Tarry  town,"  etc. 


With  I  oo  Illustrations,  and  with  Sectional  Ma 
of  the  Hudson  River 


G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 
New  York  and  London 
Ube  Ikiiicl^erbocker  press 

1902 


COPYPIGHT,  IQ02 

BY 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


Published,  November,  1902 


Ube  ftnicftcibocfter  {press,  IRew  IPorft 


Preface 


IN  treating  of  the  history  and  traditions,  the  men 
and  the  manners  of  the  valley  of  the  Hudson 
River,  the  author  has  undertaken  to  present  in 
one  coherent  work  the  gist  of  many  volumes  and  to 
add  such  hitherto  unpublished  material  as  he  has  been 
able  to  discover. 

From  the  nature  of  this  book  it  has  not  been  pos- 
sible to  make  the  historical  narrative  continuous,  but 
in  treating  of  separate  localities  the  main  events  con- 
nected with  each  have  been  grouped,  the  method  of 
arrangement  being  toj^ical  rather  than  consecutive.  A 
reference  to  the  index  may  in  man}^  cases  dispel  an 
impression  that  some  important  event  or  person  has 
been  neglected  or  forgotten  because  its  place  in  a 
chronological  sequence  has  of  necessity  been  disre- 
garded. 

In  commencing  the  story  with  the  arrival  of  Henry 
Hudson,  the  claims  of  Verrazani  and  other  early  navi- 
gators have  been  ignored,  not  because  history  disowns 
them,  but  for  the  reason  that  the  record  of  the  rix^er, 
so  far  as  it  is  clearly  written,  commences  with  the  Half 
Moon  and  the  first  Dutch  settlers. 

In  collecting  and  ])roducing  illustrations  for  this 
work  great  care  has  l)een  taken  to  illustrate  the  text 
and  not  merely  to  make  a  picture-book,  ljut  the  beauty 

iii 


iv 


Preface 


as  well  as  the  fitness  of  the  many  engravings  with 
which  it  has  been  embellished  is  a  source  of  satisfac- 
tion to  both  the  author  and  the  publishers,  who  pre- 
sent them  without  misgiving. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  acknowledge  with  hearty  apprecia- 
tion the  courtesy  of  many  friends  who  have  aided  the 
writer  in  his  search  for  material.  Among  others,  Mr. 
M.  H.  Bright,  the  Directors  of  the  Lenox  Library,  and 
Mr.  Joel  Benton  have  the  author's  sincere  acknowledg- 
ment for  memoranda  and  the  use  of  rare  pictures.  To 
Mr.  Francis  Whiting  Halsey,  especially,  he  is  indebted 
for  a  manuscript  journal  of  a  voyage  up  the  Hudson  in 
the  year  1769.  This,  it  is  believed,  has  never  before 
been  printed. 

The  Hudson  River  is  offered  to  the  public  with  a  con- 
sciousness of  the  vastness  of  the  subject  and  the  impos- 
sibility of  treating  it  exhaustively  in  a  single  volume. 

The  author  will  ask  his  archaeological  readers  kindly 
to  bear  in  mind  that  for  no  town  in  the  land  vv^ould  the 
antiquaries  be  found  in  accord  concerning  all  points  of 
local  history.  Whoever  writes  the  history  of  a  single 
village,  whether  on  the  Hudson  or  elsewhere,  must  ex- 
pect the  honest  criticism  of  some  who  do  not  agree 
with  his  conclusions.  He  can  only  claim  .to  have 
made  a  careful  study  of  the  very  interesting  records 
of  the  communities  of  the  Hudson  River  VaUey,  and 
may  hope  that  his  narrative  and  conclusions  may 
be  found  in  substantial  accord  with  the  accepted 
authorities. 


Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I — Introductory     ......  i 

II — Two  Cities  on  One  Site   ....  19 

III —  New  Buildings  and  Old  ....  30 

IV —  -Festivals  and  Pageants   ....  41 
V — Along  the  Manhattan  Shore          .       .  54 

VI — On  the  Jersey  Shore        ....  65 

VII — Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley  87 

VIII — The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings  .       .  100 

IX — Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  118 

X — Riverside  to  Inwood        ....  139 

XI — The  Island  and  the  River  IN  1776     .       .  160 

XII— Forts  Washington  and  Lee     .       .       .  181 

XIII —  From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers    .       .  193 

XIV —  Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee   .       .  .211 
XV — In  the  Land  of  Irving     .       .       .  .226 

XVI — Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  .  246 

XVII — Around  Haverstraw  Bay        .       .       .  289 

XVIII — The  Storming  of  Stony  Point        .       .  304 
XIX — At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands      .  -313 

V 


vi  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX  Till':  vSi'iRiT       '7O    .....  326 

XXI  A  \'()VA(;i':  vv  riiiv  Hudson  in  1769       .  344 

XXII  Among  tiii«:  Hills    .       .       .       .  -357 

XXI 1 1  West  Point  370 

XX  1\'  The  Fisher's  Keach       ....  389 

XXV      I^'^ISHKILL  Ti)    POUGIIKEEPSIE        .  .  .  416 

XX\^1    Sports  and  Industries   .       .       .       .  430 

XXVll— RoNDouT  and  Kingston  ....  443 

XXVIII    Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours    .  .471 

XXIX— The  Catskill  Region      ...  486 

XXX — Nantucket      Quakers      and  Dutch 

Fighters       ......  503 

XXXI— An  Old  Dutch  Town      .       .       .  .516 

XXXII — Above  Tide-Water         .       .       .  .550 

Index  573 


Illustrations 


Page 

The    Half  Moon''  on  the  Hudson,  i6og 

Frontispiece 


From  thc^ai)iiiug  by  L.  \V.  Scavcy. 

Landing  of  Hudson      ......  j 

Portrait  of  Hudson      ......  5 

Early  View  of  Weehawken   .....  7 

The  Mouth  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  in  Early  Days  10 
Earliest  Map  of  the  City      .....  75 

.4  FJit  of  Old  New  York       .        .        .        .  .20 

Before  the  Day  of  Skyscrapers      .        .        .  .21 

The  House  that  was  Built  for  Washington     .        .  2g 

The  State n  Island  Ferry  and  Barge  Office  {about 

 33 

Peaks  of  the  Manhattan  Range  .  .  .  -  36 
The  City  that  Hides  Manhattan  .  .  .  -37 
The  Barge  Office  and  the  Bay  .  ...  40 
Governor's  Island  from  Battery  Park  .  .  -43 
A  Tow  Going  out  to  Sea       .       .       .       .  -53 

vii 


VI II 


Illustrations 


TJic  Xarnrd's,  Nczv  York  Bay      ■        ■        •        -  55 

Xcic  )'(U'k  llarboiir  jroui  one  of  tJic  Skyscrapers    .  60 

I) rick  Schooner  and  Shad  Fishers,  off  Fort  Lcc  .  66 
A  Fleet  Thronged  the  River  .       .       .       .  -73 

From  an  old  print. 

The  Sybils  Cave,  Hoboken  ..... 

The  Elysian  Fields,  Hoboken       .        ...  83 

From  an  old  print. 

An  Farly  View  {about  1840)  of  Haver  straw  .        .  pj 

From  an  old  print. 

The  Ubiquitous  Tug    ......  loi 

From  a  drawing  by  the  author. 

■  Spreading  the  White  Wings  .       .       .       .       .  log 

From  a  draiving  by  the  author. 

Palisades  from  the  Yellow  Rocks,  Tappan  Zee      .  775 

From  a  drawing  by  the  author. 

Departure  of  the  "  Clermont''  on  her  First  Voyage  .  123 

"  Car  of  Neptune,''  1808   127 

''Paragon,"  181 1        .       .       .       .    '  .  .128 

''Richmond,"  181  j      ......  i2g 

The  "  North  America ' '  and  "  .4 Ibany,'^  1827-1 8 2g  .  iji 

The  Modern  Flying  Dutchman     .       .       .  -135 

Riverside  Drive,  Manhattan         .       .       .  .141 

The  Apthrope  Mansion,  Bloomingdale  .        .        .  745 

Grant's  Tomb,  Riverside  Drive     ....  I4g 

The  Notable  Buildings  on  Harlem  Heights,  where 

the  Battle  was  Fought  in  1776       .       .       .  75 j 

Burnham's  Mansion  House,  Bloomingdale  Road, 

about  i8j5    .       .       .       .       .       .       '  1 57 


Illustrations  ix 

Page 

Barnard  College,  on  the  Site  of  the  Battlefield  of 

Harlem  Heights    .       .       .        .       .  .161 

Under  the  Palisades  .  .  .  .  .  ■  IQQ 
The  Old  Philipse  House  and  Mill,  Tarrytown, 

Erected  about  1684        .....  205 

The  Flying  Dntehman  .       .        .       .        .       •  ^^J 

Hook  Mountain,  from  Nyaek       ....  216 

Tap  pan  Zee  and  the  Tarrytown  Light  .        .        .  218 

Washington  House  at  Tap  pan      ....  220 

High  Taur — Point-no-Point  and  Haverstraw        .  221 

From  a  drawing  by  the  author. 

Old  Dutch  Church  of  Sleepy  Hollow      .        •    .    •  2jj 

Lookout  at  Old  Quarry,  Tarrytown       .        .       .  2JQ 

From  a  drawing  by  the  author. 

Idlewild  Glen       .......  247 

The  River  and  Catskill  Mountains,  from  the  Lawn 

of  the  Montgomery  House,  Barrytown    .        .  251 

From  a  drawing  by  W.  J.  Wilson. 

The  Verplanck  Mansion  at  Fishkill  Landing       .  26 j 

Under  cliff — 7  lie  Home  of  the  Poet  Morris    .       .  26^ 

hyom  an  old  print. 

The  River  Road,  near  Coldenham         .        .        .  275 

Where  the  Brooks  Met — hilewild  ....  28 

View  South  from  Sing  Sing,  about  1848  .  .  2gi 
Croton  and  Verplanck's  Point  and  Anthony's  Ahse, 

from  Hill  back  of  Sing  Sing  ....  297 

High  Taur  and  the  Short  Clove — Haverstraw        .  2gg 


X 


Illustrations 


Page 

Stony  Point  and  11  arcrstraio,  jroni  \\'}'pla}ick\s 

Point    ........  307 

Bird\s-Eyc  View  of  the  Hudson  from  a  Peak  in  the 


Highlands    ......  j/^/ 

Draivii  by  W.  7.  \\'ilso)i. 

Wliei'e  the  Jurisdietion  of  the  Goblin  Ceases  .  •  J^? 
Near  Fort  Montgomery        .        .        .        .  . 

Storni  King,  from  near  Storm  King  Station  .        „  j/fi 
Broken  Neck  {Breakneck)  Hill  .... 
Cro'  Nest  from  Colds pring    .       .       .       .  -359 

On  the  Face  of  Bidl  Hill      .....  j^j 

An  Old-Fashioned  Loaf  of  Sugar''     .        .        .  jdy 

From  a  drawing  by  tJic  aiiihor. 

West  Point.    After  the  Painting  by  Robert  Weir  .  j/j 

Here  published  by  courtesy  of  the  Lenox  Library. 

West  Point  in  lySo   j8o 

From  an  old  print. 

Looking  out  of  the  Highlands,  from  Coldspring     .  jcSy 

Polio  pels  Lsland  .......  jpi 

Murderer  s  (Moodna)  Creek — By  the  Butter  Hill  .  jgg 

Across  the  Hudson  from  Cornwall        .        .        .  40 j 

From  a  drawitig  by  \V.  J.  Wilson. 

Newbiirgh  as  Seen  from  Fishkill  and  Coldspring 

Road    ........  4og 

The  Cantilever  Bridge  at  L^oughkeepsie  .        .  -4^9 

Tomkins^s  Cove   .......  425 

Ice-boat  Fleet  near  Hyde  Park      ....  433 


Illustratione^ 


Mending  Nets  at  Garrison  ..... 
Moonlight  on  tJie  Hudson  ..... 
River  Scene,  Catskill  ...... 

J.   W.   Casilear,   iS^g.    From  the  Stuart  Collection. 
Lenox  Library.    (By  permission) . 

River  Scene  near  Kingston  ..... 

From  a  drawing  by  the  author. 

Doivn  the  River,  from  Lower  Red  Hook 
The  Montgomery  House  at  Annandale  , 
Woodland  Brook  near  Catskill  .... 

From  the  painting  by  A.  B.  Dnrand,  in  the  Lenox 
Library.     (By  permission) . 

A  Glimpse  of  the  Catskills,  from  Saugerties  . 
View  of  Hudson  City  and  the  Catskill  Mountains 

From  an  old  print. 

Winter  Twilight,  near  Albany      .        .        .  , 

From  a  painting  by  G.  A.  Boughton  in  Lenox  Library 
(By  permission.) 

Van  Rensselaer  Manor-Honse,  176 § 
Plan  of  Albany,  i6g^  . 
Schuyler  Mansion,  1760 
Seal  of  Albany 
Along  the  River  below  Troy  . 
Looking  down  River,  near  Troy 
On  the  Hudson  above  Troy  . 

From  an  old  print. 

Congress  Spring  in  1820 
The  Rapids  below  Glens  Falls 


Page 

437 
445 
453 

465 

475 
481 

487 

497 
505 

517 

525 
532 
540 
543 
550 
552 
555 

559 
566 


xii  Illustrdtions 

(hi  tJic  River  hctuwni  (jIcus  IhiUs  and  Saiuiy  Hill  .  ^()S 

I'roni  (/  Jriiichig  hy  11'.  'j. 

The  fh'iclij^c  at  (ileus  Falls  .....  jdg 
A  Logjam  on  the  rpper  Hudson  .  .  .  570 
Secttoual  Map  of  the  Hudson  River 

In  separate  pocket 


THE  HUDSON  RIVER  FROM  OCEAN  TO 
SOURCE 


I 


The  Hudson  River 


Chapter  I 
Introductory 

IN  a  document  that  for  nearly  two  centuries  and  a 
half  has  lain  safely  tucked  away  among  the  royal 
archives  of  The  Hague,  there  is  what  the  directors 
of  the  West  India  Compan}^  called  "a  brief  and  clear 
account  of  the  situation  of  New  Netherland." 

This  district  or  country  [we  read],  which  is 
right  fruitful  and  salubrious,  was  first  discovered  and 
found  in  the  year  1609,  by  the  Netherlanders,  as  its 
name  implies,  at  their  own  cost,  by  means  of  one  Hen- 
drick  Hudson,  skipper  and  merchant,  in  the  ship  Halve 
Maene  sailing  in  the  service  of  the  incorporated  East 
India  Company;  for  the  natives  or  Indians,  on  his 
first  coming  there,  regarded  the  ship  with  mighty  won- 


2 


The  Hudson  River 


dor  and  looked  n])()n  it  as  a  sea  monster,  declaring  that 
such  a  slii])  or  ])eo]:»le  had  never  ])efore  been  there." 

In  writing  a  book  upon  the  Hudson  River,  it  is  hardly 
possible  to  avoid  a  repetition  of  historic  statements 
alread}'  more  or  less  familiar  to  the  reader.  The  vov- 
age  of  Henr\'  Hudson,  English  navigator  in  the  service 
of  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  to  find  a  passage 
through  ])olar  seas  to  the  shores  of  farthest  Ind;  the 
happy  accident  which  led  him  into  the  mouth  of  the 
river  that  was  afterwards  to  bear  his  name  and  to  per- 
petuate his  memory;  and  the  wonder  of  the  Indians 
of  Manhattan  W'hen  the  Half  Moon  anchored  at  last, 
are  the  details  of  a  more  than  thrice-told  tale. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  in  Hudson's  mind  the  Groot 
Riviere ' '  he  had  found  was  the  long-sought  passage  to 
open  seas  beyond.  With  Columbus,  Verrazani,  Cabot, 
and  a  host  of  others  who  have  followed  an  ignis  faUius 
through  widening  zones,  the  object  of  their  expecta- 
tions "a  furlong  still  before,"  the  skipper  of  the  Half 
Moon  looked  for  a  speedy  realisation  of  his  dreams.  It 
was  not  until  the  ''green,  pleasant  shores"  of  Man- 
hattan were  far  astern,  and  the  lessening  tides  and 
fresher  volume  of  the  river  confronted  him  with  un- 
answerable argument,  that  his  faith  began  to  waver. 
Yes,  even  then,  we  read,  his  heart  was  sore  at  finding 
the  head  of  navigation  in  the  river,  near  the  present 
site  of  x\lbany.  He  dispatched  his  mate  with  a  boat's 
crew,  to  make  sure  of  the  disappointing  fact,  and  not 
till  this  expedition  returned,  after  a  journey  of  eight  or 


I 


I 


Introductory 


5 


nine  leagues,  did  he  finally  abandon  the  enterprise  in 
that  direction  and  prepare  to  descend  the  river. 

Hudson  ascended  the 
stream  in  eleven  days.  He 
recorded  his  impressions 
and  adventures,  especially 
with  regard  to  the  Indians, 
in  a  report  which  he  fortu- 
nately succeeded  in  forward- 
ing to  his  employers  in 
Holland,  while  he  himself, 
after  re-crossing  the  Atlan- 
tic, was  forciblv  detained  m  PORTRAIT  OF  HUDSON 

England. 

We  shall  have  occasion  in  the  course  of  this  work  to 
refer  again  to  this  initial  voyage  up  the  river. 

In  the  year  following  Hudson's  discovery,  the  Holland 
merchants,  acting  on  the  principle  that  one  should  not 
refuse  a  penny  because  it  happens  not  to  be  a  pound, 
conceived  the  idea  that  while  waiting  to  open  a  new 
way  to  China  and  Japan  it  might  be  profitable  to  secure 
an  exclusive  grant  to  trade  in  the  country  that  was 
thrust  upon  them.   A  chronicle  of  the  time  relates  that 

in  that  year,  1610,  they  sent  a  ship  thither  and  obtained  after- 
wards, from  the  High  and  ]\Iighty  Lords  States-General,  a  grant 
to  resort  and  trade  exclusively  in  these  parts,  to  which  end  they 
likewise,  in  the  year  161 5,  built  on  the  Xorth  River,  about  the 
Island  Manhattans,  a  redoubt  or  little  fort,  wherein  was  left  a 
small  garrison,  some  people  usually  remaining  there  to  carry  on 
trade  with  the  natives  or  Indians.    This  was  continued  and 


6 


The  1  Iiulson  River 


niaintained  until  their  Ilii^h  Mijj^htinesscs  did.  in  the  year  1622, 
inelude  tliis  country  of  Xew  Xetlierland  in  tlie  charter  ot"  the 
West  India  Company. 

It  was  much  easier  for  Henry  Hudson  to  sail  ]xist 
the  lower  end  of  Manhattan  Island  in  1609  than  it  is 
now  for  the  historian  to  follow  his  example.  The  as- 
sociations of  ten  generations,  the  hardships  and  the 
triumphs  of  early  settlers,  the  pageants,  the  frivolities, 
the  disasters,  and  the  achievement  of  an  almost  un- 
paralleled history,  cluster  here.  Yet  to  write  of  these 
things  fully  w^ould  be  to  compile  an  encyclopedic  his- 
tory of  New  York  City,  which  is  by  no  means  our 
present  purpose,  and  if  the  reader  c[uestions  the  omis- 
sion of  this  or  that  detail  from  the  succeeding  pages  of 
this  narrative,  we  can  only  plead  the  limitations  of 
time  and  space. 

The  river  at  the  time  of  Hudson's  voyage  must  have 
presented  a  scene  of  strange  and  solemn  beauty.  The 
sweeping  verdure  of  a  nearly  unbroken  forest  on  the 
one  bank,  and  precipitous,  wild,  pine-clad  rocks  on  the 
other,  bordered  a  land  of  mysterious  possibilities  and 
unguessed  extent.  Early^  writers  have  noticed  par- 
ticularly the  prevalent  abundance  of  the  wild  grapes 
that  in  their  season  filled  the  air  with  spicy  perfume. 
Yet  the  forests  were  not  tminhabited,  for  from  every 
covert,  every  little  cove  or  bay  along  the  shores,  the 
canoes  of  the  Indians  ])ut  out  to  intercept  or  at  least 
to  approach  the  "yacht"  of  the  voyager.  The  names 
of  tribes  and  sub-tribes  have  in  large  part  been  pre- 


Introductory 


9 


served  in  local  names,  some  of  which  are  in  familiar  use 
until  this  day. 

The  Indian  name  for  the  Palisades  is  said  to  have 
been  Weh-awk-en;  awk,  the  middle  syllable,  maaning 
"rocks  that  resemble  trees."  If  this  is  the  correct 
etymology  and  application  of  the  name,  we  may  won- 
der how  it  happened  to  slip  its  moorings  and  drop  down 
with  the  tide  to  the  present  Weehawken,  where  it  has 
remained  since  the  Dutch  first  gained  possession  of  the 
banks  of  the  lower  Hudson.  An  etymology,  like  a 
horse,  may  be  a  vain  thing  for  safety  and  carries  our 
faith  on  many  a  break-neck  journey  into  the  land  of 
speculation. 

There  is,  however,  for  those  who  have  sufficient 
patience  and  enthusiasm,  a  delightful  study  in  those 
old  Indian  names  that  cover  the  Hudson  and  its  tribu- 
tary waters  with  polysyllabic  strangeness.  The  Rev. 
Charles  E.  Allison  says  of  the  Algonquin  tongue, 
in  which  these  names  had  their  birth,  that  it  "was 
agglutinative.  The  wild  men  of  the  rapid  water  settle- 
ment strung  words  together  in  an  extended  compound. " 

In  their  language  the  region  now  known  as  West- 
chester County  became  Laaphawachking,  w^hich  meant 
the  place  where  beads  are  strung.  The  Hudson  had 
several  names,  one  of  the  most  familiar  being  Shatemuc. 
The  junction  of  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek  with  the 
Hudson  was  called  Shoraskappock.  A  brook  at  Dobbs 
Ferry  was  the  Wisquaqua,  and  another  the  Wecquash- 
queck.    The  Nepperhan  River  sought  the  Hudson — 


TO 


The  Hudson  River 


and  still  docs  so — at  the  place  that  was  once  called 
Nappeckamack,  and  is  now  Yonkers.  Another  Yon- 
kers  stream  was  Amackassin.  The  name  of  the  Nep- 
perhan  seems  to  have  been  spelled  with  variations  by 
the  none-too-carcful  Dutch  orthographers ;  its  mean- 
ing was  "rapid  water."  Shorackhappock  was  the 
bluff  on  the  north  side  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek,  near 


THE  MOUTH  OF  SPUYTEN  DUYVIL  CREEK  IN  EARLY  DAYS 

its  mouth,  where  a  Mohegan  ''castle"  is  said  to  have 
stood,  the  latter  being  called  Nipnichsen.  The  Spuyten 
Duyvil  water  was  named  Papuinemen.  The  Indians, 
themselves  loaded  with  the  unpronounceable  name  of 
Meckquaskich,  called  a  river  between  hills,  that  ran 
near  Alipconc  (shady  place),  now  Tarry  town,  Pocan- 
tico  or  Pockhantes.  Besightsick  was  Sunny  side  brook, 
Ossin-ing — -''stone  upon  stone,"  appropriate  prophecy 
of  present  State  buildings — was  Sing  Sing  at  a  later 
day,  though  very  recently  the  inhabitants  have  again 
restored  the  Indian  name. 

Sackhoes  was  the  site  of  Peekskill  and  Senasqua  of 
Croton  Point  meadow.    Kitchawan  signified  a  swift 


Introductory 


and  strong  current  and  was  the  name  by  which  the 
Croton  River  was  known  to  the  red  men  who  hunted 
game  on  its  banks  or  drew  the  fish  from  its  waters. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  Dutch  settlers  that  they 
obtained  their  lands  from  the  Indians  by  purchase.  It 
is  a  threadbare  story  that  Peter  Minuit  bought  the 
island  of  Manhattan  for  a  sum  about  equivalent  to 
twenty-four  dollars;  taking  into  account  the  relative 
values  of  land  and  money  at  that  time  and  place,  the 
purchase  may  be  regarded  as  equitable. 

The  oldest  Indian  deed  to  Westchester  property  that 
is  now  preserved  is  that  covering  a  tract  included  in 
the  town  of  Kingsbridge.  All  of  the  great  manors  and 
patroonships  along  the  river  were  acquired  by  pur- 
chase and  afterwards  confirmed  by  grants. 

The  earliest  settlements  on  the  Hudson  River  were, 
naturally,  those  surrounding  the  several  forts  that 
afforded  protection  from  the  neighbouring  savages. 
Albany  claims  the  first  of  these,  a  palisaded  enclosure 
antedating  even  that  upon  Manhattan  Island.  At  the 
extreme  ends  of  the  navigable  river,  nearly  a  fortnight 
apart  in  ordinary  weather  and  absolutely  shut  off  from 
communication  after  the  Avinter  ice  and  snow  appeared, 
they  became  each  the  centre  of  dependent  communi- 
ties. The  settlements  from  New  Amsterdam,  or  Man- 
hattan, extended  northward  to  Kitchawan,  and  those 
of  Rensselaerw^yk  (or  Albany)  included  the  more 
southerly  posts  of  Kingston,  Esopus,  and  Rondout. 
While  it  is  true  that  other  posts  sprang  up  between, 


12 


The  Hudson  River 


yet  the  greater  part  of  the  river  shore  was  for  many 
years  praetically  untouched  by  the  whites. 

In  relation  to  the  purchase  of  Manhattan  there  is 
one  old  document,  written  in  1634,  that  concludes 
with  a  burst  that  has  the  ring  of  prophecy:  "  Further, 
not  only  were  the  above  named  forts  enlarged  and  re- 
newed, but  the  said  company  purchased  from  the  In- 
dians, who  were  the  indubitable  owners  thereof,  the 
island  of  Manhattes,  situated  at  the  entrance  of  said 
river,  a7id  there  laid  the  foundations  of  a  city.''  Who- 
ever the  forgotten  framer  of  that  paragraph,  he 
wrote,  as  his  contemporaries  builded,  better  than  he 
knew. 

Noting  the  orthography  of  the  name  Manhattes,  as 
given  above,  it  is  interesting  to  find  that  there  are 
forty-two  spellings  of  the  word  used  in  old  manuscripts. 

In  that  abounding  wilderness  which  bordered  what 
has  become  the  main  artery  of  the  Empire  State,  the 
forests  not  only  afforded  a  shelter  for  a  large  Indian 
population,  but  a  hiding-place  for  numberless  wild  ani- 
mals, among  which  an  old  document  of  the  year  1645 
includes 

lions,  but  they  are  few;  bears,  of  which  there  are  many;  elks, 
a  great  number  of  deer,  some  of  which  are  entirely  white  and 
others  wholly  black,  but  the  latter  are  very  rare.  The  Indians 
say  that  the  white  deer  have  a  great  retinue  of  other  deer  by 
which  they  are  highly  esteemed,  beloved,  and  honoured,  and  that 
it  is  quite  contrary  with  those  that  are  black.  There  are,  be- 
sides, divers  other  wild  animals  in  the  interior,  but  these  are  un- 
known to  Christians. 


Introductory 


13 


After  the  account  here  quoted  of  the  black  and  white 
deer,  we  are  inchned  to  wonder  whether  it  was  know- 
ledge or  invention  that  failed.  Certainly  one  may  be 
more  indulgent  to  the  flocks  of  flamingoes  with  which 
Campbell  brightened  his  picture  of  the  Wyoming 
valley. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  primitive  settlements 
that  sprang  up  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  principal 
forts.  Near  the  bouweries  of  New  Amsterdam  and 
those  of  Rensselaerwyk,  there  were  others  where  the 
fields  of  rye,  wheat,  maize,  and  barley  began  to  grow 
in  the  forest  clearings,  and  these  in  time  centred  about 
the  orchards  and  gardens  of  manor  lords  whose  state 
and  power  were  baronial. 

A  very  early  and  shockingly  mendacious  map,  a  very 
geographical  nightmare,  that  is  preserved  in  Holland, 
scatters  a  number  of  place  names,  without  a  clue  to 
distance,  along  the  Mauritius  (now  Hudson)  River. 
Albany  is  discoverable  under  one  of  its  several  aliases,  as 
Nassou.  Kinderhook — spelled  Kinderhoeck — is  about 
where  it  should  be,  and  Hinnieboeck  suggests  Rhine- 
beck.  Esopus  has  unaccountably  slipped  down  the 
river,  and  is  surrounded  by  forests  belonging  to  the 
Waronawanka  Indians.  Then  we  find  Blinkersbergh 
and  Vischershoeck  (or  letters  to  that  effect)  in  the 
country  of  the  Pachami.  Finally  the  familiar  bend  of 
"Havestro"  and  ''Tappans"  is  reached,  after  which 
another  half  a  dozen  miles  lands  the  bewildered  voy- 
ager in  the  Manhattes. 


14 


The  Hudson  River 


It  is  not  important  thiit  this  erratic  stream  is  in  the 
main  as  fabulous  as  that  which  flowed  through  the 
caverns  of  Xanadu,  or  that  the  ma])-maker  has  hmned 
another,  not  less  marvellous  (which  may  be  the  Mis- 
sissip])i  or  the  Yukon,  for  anything  that  we  know  to 
the  contrary) ,  that  parallels  it  a  few  miles  to  the  west- 
ward. What  is  really  important  is  that  some  one  who 
constructed  a  map  less  than  a  decade  after  the  dis- 
covery of  the  river  should  have  known  the  names  of 
Nassau,  Kinderhook,  Esopus,  and  Tappan,  and  should 
have  placed  them  in  their  approximate  order  on  the 
shores  of  a  river  making  a  line  of  cleavage  through  the 
wilderness. 

Those  little  settlements  were  the  nuclei  from  which 
cultivation  spread  into  the  forest  lands.  Year  after 
year  the  corn  and  the  wheat  followed  the  receding  pine 
and  chestnut;  year  after  year  the  ''herbes"  and  the 
simples  attended  the  broader  crops;  and  flowers  that 
bloomed  for  the  delight  of  the  eye  and  the  comfort  of 
the  soul  lifted  their  faces  within  the  walls  of  the  home 
acre. 

Industry  and  thrift  were  the  genii  that  achieved 
these  things  in  time,  but  industry  and  thrift  were  not 
enough  to  keep  the  new  plantations  from  being  some- 
times reabsorbed  by  the  surrounding  wilderness. 
There  were  periods  of  unrest  among  the  forest  dwellers, 
and  the  pitiful  stories  of  massacre  and  ruin  were  mul- 
tiplied. 

One  Siebout  Claessen,  house  carpenter,  burgher,  and 


Introductory 


15 


inhabitant  of  New  Netherland,  in  a  protest  or  petition, 
most  respectfully  represents  that  he, 

having  married  Susanna  Janss,  at  the  time  widow  of  Aert 
Teunissen,  her  previous  husband,  who  had  entered  into  a  con- 
tract with  Director  Kieft  to  lease  a  certaiii  boiiwerie  named  Hobo- 
quin,  situate  in  Pavonia  on  the  west  side  of  the  North  River,  .  .  . 
fenced  the  lands,  cleared  the  fields,  and  erected  a  suitable  brew 
house  which  is  yet  standing  there,  and  brought  thither  eight  and 
twenty  head  of  large  cattle,  etc.  .  .  .  together  with  many  of 
his  own  fruit  trees.  And  thus  considerable  value  was  added  to 
the  bouwerie  .  .  .  until  the  year  1643,  when  the  cruel,  un- 
natural, and  very  destructive  war  broke  out,  and  his  twenty- 
eight  large  cattle  and  horses  were  killed  .  .  .  dwelling  house, 
barns,  and  stacks  of  seed  burnt,  the  brew  house  alone  remaining. 


Another  sufferer  points  out  that  the  piles  of  ashes 
from  the  burnt  houses,  barns,  barracks,  and  other  build- 
ings more  than  sufficiently  demon- 
strated the  ordinary  care  that  was 
bestowed  upon  the  country — God 
help  it! — particularly  during  the 
war.  "  We  respectfully  request 
your  honours  to  institute  a  rigid 
inquiry  into  this  matter ;  how  many 
first-class  bouweries  and  planta- 
tions were  abandoned  in  the  war 
by  our  Dutch  and  English,  whose 
houses  were   burnt  as  has  been  stated." 

It  may  well  be  believed  that,  except  within  the  stock- 
ades at  Manhattan  or  under  the  protection  of  the  fort 
at  Rensselaer wyk,  few  ornamental  gardens  were  per- 


EARLIEST  MAP  OF 
THE  CITY 


i6 


The  Hudson  River 


mancntly  established  until  after  the  animosity  of  the 
Indians  became  a  thing  of  the  past. 

In  one  old  paper  has  been  preserved  a  striking  picture 
of  colonial  hardships: 

The  season  came  for  driving  out  the  cattle,  wliich  obliged 
many  to  desire  peace.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Indians  seeing 
also  that  it  was  time  to  plant  maize,  were  not  less  solicitous  for  a 
cessation  of  hostilities;  so,  after  some  negotiation,  peace  was 
concluded  in  May,  A  1643,  rather  in  consequence  of  the  impor- 
tunity of  some,  than  of  the  opinion  entertained  by  others,  that 
it  would  be  durable. 

The  Indians  kept  still  after  this  peace,  associating  daily  with 
our  people;  yea,  even  the  greatest  chiefs  came  to  visit  the  Di- 
rector. Meanwhile  Pacham,  a  crafty  man,  ran  through  all  the 
villages  urging  the  Indians  to  a  general  massacre.  Thereupon  it 
happened  that  certain  Indians  called  Wappingers,  dwelling  six- 
teen leagues  up  the  river,  with  whom  we  never  had  the  least 
trouble,  seized  a  boat  coming  from  Fort  Orange,  wherein  were 
only  two  men,  and  full  four  hundred  beavers.  This  great  booty 
stimulated  others  to  follow  the  example ;  so  that  they  seized  two 
boats  more,  intending  to  overhaul  the  fourth  also;  from  which 
they  were  driven,  with  loss  of  six  Indians.  Nine  Christians,  in- 
cluding two  women,  were  murdered  in  these  two  barks;  one 
woman  and  two  children,  remaining  prisoners.  The  rest  of  the 
Indians,  as  soon  as  their  maize  was  ripe,  followed  this  example; 
and  through  semblance  of  selling  beavers,  killed  an  old  man  and 
woman,  leaving  another  man  with  five  wounds,  who,  however, 
fled  to  the  fort,  in  a  boat,  with  a  little  child  in  his  arms,  which,  in 
the  first  outbreak,  had  lost  father  and  mother,  and  now  grand- 
father and  grandmother;  being  thus  twice  rescued,  through 
God's  merciful  blessing,  from  the  hands  of  the  Indians;  first, 
when  two  years  old.  Nothing  was  now  heard  but  murders; 
most  of  which  were  committed  under  pretence  of  coming  to  put 
Christians  on  their  guard. 

Finally,  the  Indians  took  the  field  and  attacked  the  bou- 
weries  at  Pavonia.    Two  ships  of  war  and  a  privateer  were  here 


Introductory 


17 


at  the  time,  and  saved  considerable  cattle  and  grain.  Probably 
it  was  not  possible  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  four  bouweries 
on  Pavonia  which  were  burnt;  not  by  open  violence,  but  by 
stealthy  creeping  through  the  bush  with  fire  in  hand,  and  in  this 
way  igniting  the  roofs  which  are  all  either  of  reed  or  straw;  one 
covered  with  plank  was  preserved  at  the  time. 

Whoever  will  wade  through  the  mass  of  Dutch  docu- 
ments brought  to  the  light  of  day  through  the  industry 
of  John  Romeyn  Brodhead  may  find  an  old  paper 
called  ''A  Representation  of  the  New  Netherlands,  etc. " 
It  is  a  report  written  for  their  High  Mightinesses,  the 
States-General,  forty  years  after  the  discovery  of  the 
Hudson.    In  it  there  is  a  statement  that 

all  fruits  which  will  grow  in  Netherland  will  also  thrive  in 
New  Netherland,  without  requiring  as  much  care  as  must  be 
given  in  the  former.  All  garden  fruits  succeed  likewise  very 
well  there,  but  are  drier,  sweeter,  and  better  flavoured  than  in 
Netherland.  As  a  proof  of  this  we  may  properly  instance  melons 
and  citrons  or  watermelons,  which  readily  grow,  in  New  Nether- 
land, in  the  fields,  if  the  briars  and  weeds  be  only  kept  from 
them,  whereas  in  Netherland  they  require  particular  attention 
in  gardens. 

The  same  optimistic  writer  says  in  regard  to  the 
varieties  of  grapes  to  be  found  in  New  Netherland : 

Some  are  white,  some  blue,  some  very  fleshy  and  fit  only  to 
make  raisins  of;  some  again  juicy,  some  very  large,  others  on  the 
contrary  small;  their  juice  is  very  pleasant  and  some  of  it  white 
like  French  or  Rhenish  wines ;  that  of  others  again  very  deep  red, 
like  Tent;  some  even  paler.  The  vines  run  up  far  into  the  trees 
and  are  shaded  b}^  their  leaves  so  that  the  grapes  are  slow  in 
ripening  and  a  little  sour,  but  were  cultivation  and  knowledge 
applied  here  doubtless  as  fine  wines  could  be  made  here  as  in  any 
other  wine-growing  countries. 


8 


The  Hudson  River 


Either  this  writer,  or  another  of  his  tribe,  was  over- 
joyed to  report  that  ''indigo  silvcstris  grows  spontane- 
ously here  without  any  human  aid  or  cultivation." 
Experiments  with  this  plant  were  made  in  the  extensive 
gardens  of  Rensselaer wyk  and  promised  great  things. 
We  find  added  to  that  report  a  statement  that  madder 
would  "  undoubtedly ' '  thrive  well ;  even  better  than  in 
Zealand  in  regard  to  the  land  and  other  circumstances. " 

O,  those  old  gardens  and  plantations,  in  which  were 
planted  wheat  and  apple  trees,  madder  and  indigo  and 
great  expectations;  that  yielded  now  a  crop  of  fruit 
and  now  a  harvest  of  disappointment!  Those  early 
comers  into  the  American  Wonderland  planted  more 
than  their  gardens  by  the  shores  of  Hudson's  River. 
The  succeeding  pages  will  be  in  part  a  record  of  their 
struggle  and  their  achievement. 


Chapter  II 


Two  Cities  on  One  Site 

THERE  are  two  wonderful  cities  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Hudson  River.  One  is  insistent,  almost 
overwhelming  in  its  presentation  of  present- 
day  achievement.  Its  sky-line  is  a  boldly  serrated 
ridge  of  stupendous  masonry,  softened  here  and  there 
by  the  smoke  from  a  hundred  thousand  chimneys. 
Its  shore -line  is  broken  into  leagues  of  wharves  that 
harbour  an  almost  unbroken  fleet  of  vessels.  From  a 
thousand  miles  of  streets  the  aura  of  its  multitudinous 
life  seems  to  rise,  and  the  hum  of  its  traffic  and  the 
murmur  of  its  striving  never  ceases. 

On  the  river  the  scene  changes  in  detail,  but  not  in 
character.  The  boats  cross  and  recross  each  other  s 
courses  like  mammoth  shuttles,  weaving  a  pattern  of 
a  marvellous  tapestry,  and  the  eye  is  bewildered  in 
trying  to  follow  their  intricate  paths  or  wearies  with 
their  tmresting  procession. 

Hidden  by  this  metropolis  of  to-day,  of  which  the 
eye  takes  cognisance,  there  is  a  quaint  little  city,  vis- 
ible only  to  the  imagination,  contracted,  unalterable, 
and  peopled  with  ghosts. 

19 


20 


The  Hudson  River 


It  is  the  city  of  the  Knickerbockers,  where  the  apo- 
cryphal burghers  that  Irving  created  were  su])])osed  to 
have  puffed  kizily  u])on  their  k)ng  ])i])es  till  the  smoke 
obscured  Communi])aw,  on  the  op|)osite  shore.  It  is 
the  city  that  hid  behind  palisades  for  fear  of  Indian 
neighbours;  that  fretted  and  prospered  under  Dutch 
and  English  governors ;  that  in  place  of  stock  exchanges 
and  produce  exchanges  raised  live  stock  and  farm 
produce:  the  little  city  that  entertained  the  first  re- 
presentative Congress  in  the  Colonies  and  inaugurated 
the  first  President  of  the  new  Republic. 

Fort  Amsterdam,  at  first  a  very  rude  affair  of  logs, 
but  no  doubt  a  sufficient  defence  against  the  sim|)le 
weapons  of  the  savages,  was  remodelled  and  rebuilt 
almost  as  many  times  as  the  little  city  had  new  govern- 
ors.   For  this  reason  the  earlier  descriptions  and  pict- 


A  BIT  OF  OLD  NEW  YORK 


Two  Cities  on  One  Site 


21 


ures  of  this  miniature  outpost  in  the  wilderness  did 
not  agree.  What  was  at  first  designated  a  fort  was,  in 
fact,  nothing  more  than  a  stockade  or  paHsade,  enclos- 
ing not  only  the  official  buildings  but  private  dwellings 
of  the  settlers.  For  many  years  the  church  in  which 
the  early  Dutch  domines  exhorted  their  flocks  fostered 
its  spiritual  courage  behind  that  temporal  bulwark, 
and  no  doubt  the  many-breeked  worshippers  slept 
more  comfortably  in  the  knowledge  that  the  hewn  tim- 
ber of  their  fence  was  strong,  and  the  matchlocks  of 
the  guard  ready  for  all  comers. 

The  names  by  which  the  fort  was  known,  judging  by 
the  old  records,  changed  almost  as  frequently  as  its 
size  or  dimensions.  From  Amsterdam  it  was  altered 
by  the  English  to  James,  and  then  by  the  Dutch  again 
to  William  Hendrick,  finally  returning  to  James.  At 


BEFORE  'JlIE  DAY  OF  SKYSCRAPERS 


22 


The  Hudson  River 


the  time  of  the  War  for  Ameriean  Independenee  it  had 
beeome  Fort  George. 

A  detailed  descrii)tion  of  the  fort  was  given  by  Gov- 
ernor Dongan  (EngHsh)  about  1685.    He  says: 

At  New  York  there  is  a  fortification  of  four  Bastions  built 
formerly  against  the  Indians  of  dry  stone  &  earth  with  Sods  as  a 
Breastwork  well  and  pleasantly  situated  for  the  defence  of  the 
Harbor  on  a  point  made  by  Hudsons  River  on  the  one  side  and 
by  the  sound  on  the  other.  It  has  Thirty  nine  Guns,  two  Mortar- 
pieces,  thirty  Barils  of  Powder  five  hundred  Ball  some  Bomb 
Shells  and  Grenados,  small  arms  for  three  hundred  men,  one 
flanker,  the  face  of  the  Xorth  Bastion  &  three  points  of  Bastions 
&  a  Courtin  has  been  done  &  are  rebuilt  by  mee  with  Lime  and 
Mortar  and  all  the  rest  of  the  Fort  Pinnd  and  Rough  Cast  with 
Lime  since  my  coming  here. 

And  the  most  of  the  Guns  I  found  dismounted  and  some  of 
them  continue  to  bee  soe  which  I  hope  to  have  mounted  soe  soon 
as  the  mills  can  sawe. 

I  am  forced  to  renew  all  the  batterys  with  three  inch  plank  & 
have  spoke  for  new  planks  for  the  purpose. 

The  Ground  that  the  fort  stands  upon  &  that  be- 
longs to  it  contains  in  quantity  about  two  acres  or  thereabouts, 
about  which  I  have  instead  of  Palisados  put  a  fence  of  Pales 
which  is  more  lasting. 

To  this  he  adds  a  word  about  the  human  wall,  upon 
which  more  reUance  was  to  be  plaeed  than  in  rotten 
planks  and  dismantled  guns. 

In  this  country  there  is  a  Woman  yet  alive  from  whose  Loyns 
there  are  upward  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  persons  now  living. 
The  men  that  are  here  have  generally  strong  and  lust}'  bodies. 

In  the  face  of  such  a  statement  as  the  foregoing  the 
historian  is  dumb,  willing  in  future  to  look  without 
question  at  any  extravagance  in  census  enumeration. 


Two  Cities  on  One  Site 


23 


Old  Captain  John  Buckhout,  of  Sleepy  Hollow,  who 
with  his  wife  Sarah  could  count  two  hundred  and 
forty  children  and  grandchildren, — a  statement  graven 
large  upon  his  tombstone, — has  long  been  thought  to 
hold  the  record  as  an  ancestor,  but  his  claim  vanishes, 
his  merits  are  insignificant,  beside  the  "  Woman  yet 
alive"  of  Governor  Dongan's  report. 

The  Albany  fort  was  described  by  Dongan  as  being 
made  of  pine  trees  fifteen  feet  high,  and  fitted  with 
batteries,  etc.,  yet  all  very  rotten,  and  he  strongly 
recommends  the  substitution  of  masonry  for  timber  at 
this  important  post. 

From  Dutch  to  English,  then  back  again  from  Eng- 
lish to  Dutch,  and  finally  once  more  into  English  hands, 
the  embryo  metropolis  passed:  but  one  looks  in  vain 
for  records  of  carnage  or  of  heroism.  The  transfers 
were  made  apparently  without  undue  excitement  on 
either  side.  A  report  to  the  Dutch  Lords  relates  how 
one  of  these  events  came  about. 

High  and  Mighty  Lords. 

One  Andries  Michielsen,  having  been  placed  by  Captain 
Binckes,  the  Commander  of  a  squadron  of  four  ships  and  one 
sloop-of-war,  on  board  a  prize  of  about  fifty  tons  burthen,  taken 
by  the  aforesaid  Commander  near  Guadeloupe,  in  the  Caribbean 
Islands,  to  bring  her  here,  was  forced,  by  leakage  and  insecurity 
of  the  ship,  to  run  through  the  Channel,  where  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  be  captured  by  the  English  of  Bevesier.  He  pre- 
sented himself  to-day  before  our  Board,  and  verbally  reported 
that,  after  the  abovenamed  Captain  Binckes,  reinforced  by  Cap- 
tain Cornelius  Evertsen's  squadron  had,  together,  burnt  in  the 
River  of  Virginia  five  English  ships  laden  with  tobacco,  and 


24 


The  Hudson  River 


captured  six  others,  without  having  been  able  to  effect  anything 
further  there,  they  had  sailed  for  New  Netherland,  and  became 
masters  of  the  principal  fortress  situate  on  the  Island  Manhates, 
on  the  9th  of  August  ultimo;  that  also,  before  his  departure  on 
the  nineteenth  ditto,  when  he  was  dispatched  with  letters  hither, 
he  had  heard  that  they  had  reduced  another  fort,  situate  some 
thirty  leagues  inland.  The  English  had,  some  days  before  his 
departure,  been  removed  elsewhere  in  four  ships,  viz.,  three  be- 
longing to  this  Board  and  one  of  Zealand,  the  remainder  staid  at 
anchor  before  the  Island  Manates. 

Only  by  a  resolute  exercise  of  the  imagination  can 
we  expunge  from  our  vision  the  artificial  cafions  and 
mesas  that  have  arisen  at  the  bidding  of  the  architect, 
and  restore  again  even  the  modest  town  that  the  his- 
torian vSmith  pictured  in  1757. 

What  a  century  and  a  half  have  wrought  of  change 
and  growth  may  best  be  appreciated  by  reading  the 
description  he  wrote  when  Domine  Ritzemer  dispensed 
unadulterated  Calvinism  to  his  flock,  when  the  Dutch 
farmers  "  in  the  small  village  of  Harlem,  pleasantly  situ- 
ated" on  the  north-western  part  of  New  York  Island, 
cultivated  produce  for  the  city  markets,  and  the  oyster 
beds  within  view  of  the  Battery  afforded  one  of  the 
principal  sources  of  food  for  the  poorer  people. 

At  that  date,  almost  midway  in  its  history  (if  we 
reckon  history  by  years),  New  York  is  described  as  a 
city  of 

about  two  thousand  five  hundred  buildings.  It  is  a  mile  in 
length,  and  not  above  half  that  in  breadth.  Such  is  its  figure, 
its  centre  of  business  and  the  situation  of  the  houses,  that  the 
mean  cartage  from  one  point  to  another  does  not  exceed  above 


Two  Cities  on  One  Site 


25 


one  quarter  of  a  mile,  than  which  nothing  can  be  more  advantageous 
to  a  trading  city. 

It  is  thought  to  be  as  healthy  a  spot  as  any  in  the  world. 
The  east  and  south  parts,  in  general,  are  low,  but  the  rest  is 
situated  on  a  dry,  elevated  soil.  The  streets  are  irregular,  but 
being  paved  with  round  pebbles,  are  clean  and  lined  with  well 
built  brick  houses,  many  of  which  are  covered  with  tiled  roofs. 

Upon  the  southwest  point  stands  the  fort,  which  is  a  square 
with  four  bastions.  Within  the  walls  is  the  house  in  which 
our  governors  usually  reside;  and  opposite  to  it  brick  barracks, 
built,  formerly,  for  the  independent  companies.  The  Governor's 
house  is  in  height  three  stories  and  fronts  to  the  west;  having 
from  the  second  story  a  fine  prospect  of  the  bay  and  the  Jersey 
shore.  There  was  formerly  a  chapel,  but  this  was  burned  down 
in  the  negro  conspiracy  of  the  spring  of  1741.  According  to 
Governor  Burnet's  observations  this  fort  stands  in  the  latitude 
of  40°  43'  N. 

The  following  description,  by  a  foreign  writer  of  that 
day,  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  social  life  of  New  York 
when  fashion  still  lingered  around  the  Bowling  Green : 

The  first  society  of  New  York  associate  together  in  a  style  of 
elegance  and  splendor  little  inferior  to  Europeans.  Their  houses 
are  furnished  with  everything  that  is  useful,  agreeable,  or  orna- 
mental; and  many  of  them  are  fitted  up  in  the  tasteful  magni- 
ficence of  modern  luxury.  Many  have  elegant  equipages.  The 
dress  of  the  gentlemen  is  plain,  elegant,  and  fashionable,  and 
corresponds  in  every  respect  with  the  English  costume.  The 
ladies  in  general  seem  more  partial  to  the  light,  various,  and 
dashing  drapery  of  the  Parisian  belles,  than  to  the  elegant  and 
becoming  attire  of  our  London  beauties,  who  improve  upon  the 
French  fashions.  The  winter  is  passed  in  a  round  of  entertain- 
ments and  amusements.  The  servants  are  mostly  negroes  or 
mulattoes;  some  free  and  others  slaves.  Marriages  are  conducted 
in  the  most  splendid  style,  and  form  a  most  important  part  of 
the  winter's  entertainments.  For  three  days  after  the  marriage 
ceremony  the  newly  married  couple  see  company  in  great  state. 


26 


The  Hudson  River 


It  is  a  sort  of  levee.  Sometimes  the  night  concludes  with  a  con- 
cert and  ball. 

Of  all  the  comings  and  goings,  the  arrivals  and  the 
departures  that  form  the  kaleidoscopic  story  of  old 
New  York,  and  are  associated  particularly  with  the 
Battery,  none  has  been  more  significant  than  the 
evacuation  and  embarkation  of  the  British  forces  in 
1783.  For  two  years  the  peace  negotiations  had  been 
going  forward,  and  since-  Yorktown  nothing  decisive 
had  occurred.  When  at  last,  in  March,  the  news 
reached  America  that  Great  Britain  had  acknowledged 
the  absolute  independence  of  the  x^merican  States, 
there  was  a  mighty  thanksgiving  that  reached  from 
the  general  commanding  the  army  to  the  poorest  pri- 
vate in  the  ranks,  and  included  all  classes  of  citizens, 
save  those  whose  hearts  were  with  the  cause  of  royalty. 

New  York,  which  had  been  in  British  hands  since 
1776,  had  been  the  stronghold  and  base  of  operations 
for  their  cause.  During  that  time  it  had  been  almost 
abandoned  and  had  again  filled  up;  it  had  suffered 
hardship  and  endured  privation ;  a  fire  had  devastated 
a  large  part  of  its  stores  and  dwelHngs;  the  people 
were  heartily  tired  of  war  even  when  gilded  by  the 
gaiety  of  a  garrison  cit}^ 

Now  at  last  the  negotiations  had  been  brought  to  a 
termination  satisfactory  to  the  Continental  sym- 
pathisers, and  Washington,  having  disbanded  most  of 
his  army,  w^aited  up  the  river  for  the  beaten  foe  to 
depart. 


Two  Cities  on  One  Site 


27 


Washington  met  Carleton  at  the  Livingston  house  in 
Dobbs  Ferry,  and  received  his  assurance  of  a  speedy 
departure,  but  it  seemed  as  though  the  garrison  was 
very  loath  to  leave  the  ground  it  had  occupied  so  long, 
and  delay  after  delay  occurred.  There  was  a  shortage 
of  transports,  owing  probably  to  the  fact  that  a  great 
many  loyalists  wished  to  leave  the  city,  incited  either 
by  fear  or  disgust. 

Washington  moved  first  from  Newburgh  to  West 
Point,  then,  leisurely,  down  the  river  till  he  reached 
McGowan's  Pass,  within  the  present  Central  Park, 
where  he  waited  with  the  little  force  retained  for 
the  formal  occupancy  of  the  city.  General  Henry 
Knox,  who  was  with  the  Commander-in-chief,  was 
there  to  take  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  ceremonious 
entrance. 

When  the  American  troops,  having  marched  through 
the  length  of  New  York,  halted  in  Broadway,  near 
Wall  Street,  and  two  companies  were  sent  forward  to 
take  formal  possession  of  the  fort,  with  instruction  to 
hoist  the  American  flag  and  fire  a  salute  of  thirteen 
guns,  many  of  the  boats  full  of  retiring  British  troops 
were  still  near  the  Battery  wall.  The  shores  were 
crowded  with  citizens,  assembled  to  witness  the  em- 
barkation. It  has  been  remarked  as  a  noteworthy 
fact  that  there  seems  to  have  been  no  disturbance,  no 
taunts  or  jeers,  such  as  might  naturally  have  been  ex- 
pected on  the  part  of  such  a  mixed  assembly  of  spec- 
tators.   On  the  contrary,  everything  was  orderly  and, 


28 


The  Hudson  River 


to  use  a  ])hrasc  unha])])iiy  somewhat  obsolete,  "was 
conducted  with  pro])riety." 

The  British  ships  hung  in  the  offing  and  received 
their  barges  as  they  came  up;  then,  without  further 
ceremony,  sailed  away  and  took  with  them  the  last 
shadowy  vestige  of  ro}^al  claim  to  the  land  where  they 
had  struggled  so  long  for  supremacy. 

There  is  one  bit  of  comedy  associated  with  the  British 
evacuation  of  New  York.  The  retiring  garrison,  either 
with  the  connivance  of  their  officers  or  as  a  piece  of  un- 
authorised waggery,  left  their  flag  flying  in  front  of  the 
fort.  When  the  Americans,  in  accordance  with  orders, 
tried  to  pull  it  down  to  hoist  the  American  colours  in  its 
place,  they  found  that  it  had  been  securely  nailed  to 
the  pole,  the  halliards  cut,  and  the  staff  well  slushed 
with  grease. 

It  w^as  a  dilemma  awkward  on  one  side  as  it  was 
amusing  on  the  other.  We  may  imagine  the  departing 
soldiers  waiting  a  short  distance  from  the  shore  to 
watch  the  frantic  efforts  of  their  successors  to  exchange 
the  flags. 

A  flag  was  fastened  to  a  stick  by  the  Americans,  and 
while  this  makeshift  was  flying  several  guns  of  the  sa- 
lute were  actually  fired,  but  the  British  ensign  was 
still  waving  overhead,  and  the  American's  pot  of  oint- 
ment w^as  polluted  by  this  ver}'  obtrusive  fly. 

At  the  nick  of  time  there  came  a  young  soldier,  John 
Van  Arsdale  by  name,  late  of  the  Continental  army, 
and  it  was  his  good  fortune  to  succeed  where  others 


Two  Cities  on  One  Site 


29 


had  failed.  Disdaining  to  attempt  to  scale  the  greased 
pole  unaided,  as  others  had  done,  he  called  for  a  ham- 
mer and  nails.  With  pieces  of  board  he  fixed  cross- 
pieces  to  the  flagpole,  making  a  ladder  by  which  he 
ascended  and  finally  tore  down  the  obnoxious  bunting. 


THE  HOUSE  THAT  WAS  BUILT  FOR  WASHINGTON 


Chapter  III 


New  Buildings  and  Old 

AT  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  there  were 
a  large  number  of  historic  houses  clustering 
about  the  old  fort.  The  names  of  some  of  the 
most  notable  New  Yorkers  were  associated  with  them, 
and  the  reign  of  social  leaders  long  celebrated  for 
courtly  and  unstinted  hospitality  gave  distinction  to 
a  neighbourhood  now  occupied  by  steamship  offices 
and  noisy  with  a  jargon  of  foreign  tongues. 

It  was  here  that  was  situated  the  great  house  built 
for  the  first  President  of  the  United  States  and  his  suc- 
cessors. It  was  never  occupied  by  Washington,  as 
before  its  completion  he  had  removed  with  the  govern- 
ment to  Philadelphia;  but  it  became  the  residence  of 
Governor  George  Clinton,  and  after  him  of  John  Ja}^ 
whose  wife  led  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  the  little 
metropolis.  Several  weddings  of  note  were  performed 
at  this  old  mansion,  which  in  its  day  was  the  most 
magnificent  in  the  city. 
Mrs.  Lamb  says: 

The  newspapers  in  November,  1796,  chronicle  a  marriage 
and  reception  of  this  character  at  the  governor's  mansion  as  fol- 

30 


New  Buildings  and  Old 


31 


lows:  "  Married  on  the  3d  at  his  Excellency's  John  Jay,  Governor, 
Government  House,  John  Livingston,  of  the  Manor  of  Livingston, 
to  Mrs.  Catharine  Ridley,  daughter  of  the  late  Governor  William 
Livingston."  The  bride  was  Mrs.  Jay's  accomplished  and  pi- 
quant sister,  Kitty  Livingston,  who  in  1787  became  the  wife  of 
Matthew  Ridley,  of  Baltimore,  and  after  brief  wedded  happiness 
was  left  a  widow. 

The  fort  and  battery,  that,  to  the  discomfiture  of  all 
good  Continentals,  were  held  by  the  British  troops,  and 
which,  to  the  immense  satisfaction  of  the  elect,  they 
evacuated  in  1783,  were  in  large  part  within  the  line  of 
the  present  elevated  railway,  and  never  very  far  be- 
yond it.  The  extension  of  the  Battery  Park  to  the 
south  and  west  of  the  ancient  water-front  has  finally 
resulted  in  a  symmetrical  wall  that  coincides  with  the 
front  of  Castle  Garden,  though  the  earlier  pictures  of 
that  famous  landmark  represent  it  as  an  isolated 
structure.  Even  as  late  as  1852  boats  could  approach 
it  on  three  sides. 

The  ground  once  occupied  by  the  old  fort  now  holds 
the  new  Custom  House.  At  the  lower  end  of  Broad- 
way is  a  group  of  splendid  buildings,  among  them  the 
Standard  Oil,  Welles,  Bowling  Green,  Columbia,  etc. 
Opposite  the  Green,  at  what  is  now  No.  i  Broadway, 
was  a  lot  belonging  at  one  time  to  Arent  Schuyler, 
brother  of  Peter  Schuyler,  the  first  Mayor  of  Albany. 
It  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  Archibald 
Kennedy,  who  built  a  house  with  a  handsome  broad 
front  and  spacious  rooms.  Next  door  to  the  Ken- 
nedy house  was  that  of  John  Watts,  whose  daughter 


32 


The  Hudson  River 


Kennedy  married.  These  two  mansions  were  connected 
by  a  bridge  and  staircase.  The  grounds  ran  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  and  were  laid  out  after  the  approved 
English  fashion  of  the  day,  with  stately  terraces  and 
parterres  of  flowers.  Kennedy  was  the  son  of  the  Hon. 
Archibald  Kennedy,  Receiver  General  under  British 
rule,  and  he  afterwards  became  by  inheritance  the 
eleventh  Earl  of  Cassalis.  His  son,  born  in  the  old 
house  at  No.  i,  was  afterwards  Marquis  of  Ailsa. 

The  Kennedy  house  was  famous  for  the  magnificence 
of  the  entertainments  given  there.  A  parlor  fifty  feet 
long,  with  a  banqueting  hall  of  equal  size  and  grand 
appointments,  made  this  old  mansion  one  of  the 
notable  ones  of  the  Colony. 

Afterwards  the  Washington  Hotel  occupied  the  place 
of  the  Kennedy  house,  and  now  the  Field  Building, 
erected  by  Cyrus  W.  Field,  lifts  its  bulk  on  that  historic 
site. 

Before  the  War  for  Independence  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor James  de  Lancey  owned  a  large  and  handsome 
house  on  Broadway.  This  was  another  of  the  well- 
known  homes  of  New  York,  where  the  wealth  and 
fashion  of  the  day  used  to  enjoy  a  hospitality  that  was 
princely,  and  the  fame  of  which  was  not  confined  to 
one  side  of  the  Atlantic.  It  was  the  favourite  meeting- 
place  for  British  officers  during  the  war,  and  was  the 
scene  of  the  great  ball  given  on  May  7,  1789,  in  honour 
of  Washington's  Inauguration. 

John   Peter  de   Lancey  sold  the  property  to  a 


New  Buildings  and  Old 


35 


syndicate  composed  of  Philip  Livingston,  Gulian  Ver- 
planck,  Moses  Rogers,  and  others,  in  trust  for  sub- 
scribers to  the  "Tontine  hotel  and  assembly  room." 
The  price  paid  was  six  thousand  pounds,  New  York 
currency.  This  company  pulled  down  the  de  Lancey 
house  and  built  in  its  stead  the  City  Hotel,  that  long 
occupied  a  large  place  in  New  York's  local  history.  It 
was  for  years  the  only  large  hotel  in  the  city  and  was 
the  scene  of  many  brilliant  social  events.  In  1849  i^ 
made  place  for  a  row  of  stores,  which  in  turn  disap- 
peared when  the  present  Boreel  Building  took  their 
place. 

Old  Jan  Jansen  Damen  had,  in  1646,  a  farmhouse  in 
the  waggon  road  between  Pine  and  Cedar  Streets.  It 
was  a  little  back  from  Broadway,  and  is  described  as 
an  exceedingly  comfortable  stone  house.  This  was 
then  outside  of  the  city.  It  was  at  this  house  that 
Governor  Kieft  spent  much  of  his  time,  and  Stuyvesant 
became  a  frequent  guest.  Now  the  Equitable  Building 
covers  the  23lace  where  Damen  sat  on  his  stoep  and 
enjoyed  his  garden  and  listened  to  the  hum  of  bees  in 
the  apple  blossoms, — covers  house,  garden,  orchard, 
and  all,  to  the  extent  of  nearly  an  acre  of  ground. 

The  old  Middle  Dutch  Church  in  time  disappeared 
from  Nassau  Street,  as  even  churches  do  in  New  York, 
and  on  the  i8th  of  October,  1882,  the  Mutual  Life  In- 
surance Company  purchased  the  site  for  six  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

There  is  not  one  of  the  great  buildings  that  tower 


36 


The  Hudson  River 


even  above  the  orcHnary  ehinmeys  of  the  cit\',  and  chal- 
lenge the  e\'e  of  the  traveller  upon  the  river,  that  has 
not  sunk  its  foundations  deep  into  the  associations  of  an 
historic  past.  Beneath  and  within  the  looming  walls 
are  traditions  and  memories;  the  tragedies,  the  ro- 
mances, and  the  comedies  of  that  older  day. 

Every  year,  the  "tale  of  bricks  is  doubled"  in  Man- 
hattan, and  the  huge  buildings  that  stretch  from  the 
Battery  northward  multiply.  In  all  that  vast  collec- 
tion of  iron  and  masonry  there  are  a  few  individual 
masses  that  are  symmetrical,  but  these  are  lost  in  the 
great  aggregation.  Separate  structures  have  been  shot 
into  the  air  as  though  impelled  by  some  terrific  volcanic 
agency,  but  there  is  no  hint  of  any  idea  of  relationship 
between  them ;  they  suggest  rather  the  accidental 
huddling  of  more  or  less  unrelated  and  even  incon- 


I'EAKS  UF    lllK   MAMIATTAN  KAN(-E 


New  Buildings  and  Old 


37 


gruous  elements.  The  saw-tooth  sky-line  thus  pro- 
duced does  not  add  an  element  of  beauty  to  the  aspect 
of  the  city  as  seen  from  the  river :  on  the  contrary,  the 
ragged,  irregular  procession  of  domes,  pyramids,  cones, 
spires,  and  bricks-on-end  give  an  impression  of  wealth, 
power,  aggressiveness, —  of  almost  anything  under 
heaven  except  taste  and  relationship.  In  all  this  mon- 
ster collection  of  buildings  there  is  no  suggestion  of  any 
community  of  interest.  Every  sky-scraper  proclaims, 
as  far  as  it  can  be  seen,  that  it  does  not  recognise  any 
other  sky-scraper  except  as  a  possible  rival  to  be  over- 
topped by  the  addition  of  several  more  stories  or  a 
cupola  or  two. 

It  will  seem  to  many  people  like  heresy  to  affirm  that 
New  York  from  any  point  of  view  lacks  beauty ;  but  it 
is  sometimes  a  melancholy  duty  to  cherish  a  heresy. 


THE  CITY  THAT  HIDES  MANHAT'J'AN 


38 


The  Hudson  River 


or  even,  uj)on  occasion,  to  proclaim  it.  As  a  matter  of 
opinion  we  hold  that  there  are  in  the  world  several 
cities  containing  a  fraction  of  the  population  and  enter- 
prise and  wealth  of  New  York  that  are  much  more  im- 
pressive in  a  perspective  view.  There  are  cities,  and 
even  small  towns,  that  present  themselves  to  the  im- 
agination as  units  and  are  in  their  degree  satisf}'ing  to 
that  sane  something  within  us  that  demands  balance 
and  proportion  in  art.  They  are  at  once  comprehen- 
sive and  comprehensible.  But  Manhattan  is  without 
a  plan.  Each  building  is  a  unit,  sufficient  unto  itself, 
and  the  city  is  chaos. 

It  is  aside  from  the  purpose  of  this  book,  and  more 
fitting  for  a  philosophical  treatise,  to  suggest  that  there 
is  something  in  the  life  and  activity  of  the  metropolis 
that  conforms  to  its  architectural  sky-line. 

But  mere  size  is  impressive  in  its  way,  after  all. 
The  eye  sweeps  that  line  of  jagged  towers  and  dizzy 
pinnacles  in  search  of  food  to  satisfy  the  craving  for 
the  marvellous  which  is  perhaps  no  more  a  modern 
than  it  was  an  ancient  failing. 

We  own  to  a  feeling  of  exultation  when  we  discover 
that  the  Park  Row  Building  (that  looks  like  the  London 
Tower  elongated)  is  three  hundred  and  eighty — or  is  it 
ninety? — feet  high,  and  that  the  Manhattan  Life  does 
not  touch  it  by  forty  feet  or  more,  though  this  in  turn 
overtops  the  Cable,  St.  Paul,  American  Surety,  Tract 
Society,  World,  Empire,  Gillender,  and  all  other  three- 
hundred-footers,  as  they  do  such  trumpery  affairs  as 


New  Buildings  and  Old 


39 


the  Produce  Exchange,  Bowling  Green,  Equitable,  etc. 
There  is  old  Trinity  spire,  that  we  used  to  think  was  in 
danger  of  tearing  the  silver  lining  from  the  clouds  w^th 
its  heavenward-pointing  tip.  How  dwarfed  and  in- 
significant it  seems  now  among  all  its  tall  worldly 
neighbours!  And  yet,  with  the  rush  of  a  thousand 
thronging  associations,  how  the  eye  seeks  and  dwells 
upon  it,  recognising  in  it  a  significance  deeper  and 
stronger  than  is  suggested  by  all  the  iron  mills  and 
stone  quarries  of  the  land. 

However  we  ma}^  take  exception  to  the  superficial 
outline  of  the  lower  cit}^  it  would  hardly  be  possible 
for  one  not  born  blind  to  be  insensible  to  the  glorious 
wealth  of  colour  that  commonly  compensates  for  all 
other  defects.  What  hues  of  cream  and  rose  are  there, 
with  strong  Venetian  tones  to  balance  dark  masses  of 
slaty  blue;  what  gleams  of  A^ellow,  and  amber  lights, 
and  tints  of  green!  Here  a  dome  of  gold  and  there  a 
cloud  of  opalescent  steam,  catch  the  sunlight;  and 
hundreds  of  smoke- jets  soften  and  blend  the  warm, 
rich  shades  that  meet  and  melt  in  purple  mystery. 

But  best  of  all  is  the  marvellous  transformation 
when  night  comes,  and  the  chimneys  are  dowm,  and 
the  sky-line  fades  away.  There  are  no  drawbacks  or 
incongruities  then ;  but  the  corruscation  of  uncounted 
lights — flashing  galaxies,  not  of  stars,  but  of  constella- 
tions and  firmaments  of  stars — render  the  scene  one  of 
indescribable  beauty.  Below  the  zone  of  white  bril- 
liants there  is  that  other,  of  coloured  shore  lights. 


40 


The  Hudson  River 


fountains  of  emerald  and  ruby  that  overflow  and  paint 
the  unresting  wave-rims  with  ser])entine  hieroglyphs. 

There  are  few  displays  of  illumination  in  the  world 
that  will  compare  with  that  which  New  York  exhil)its 
every  night,  and  whoever  has  not  seen  it  from  the  river 
has  missed  one  of  the  delights  of  life. 

A  tour  of  the  west  shore  of  Manhattan  Island  natu- 
rally commences  at  the  Barge  Office,  at  the  extreme 
lower  end  of  the  city.  This  was  built  by  the  city  for 
the  use  of  the  Emigration  Commissioners,  when  Castle 
Garden,  which  had  been  previously  leased  as  a  landing 
station  for  immigrants,  was  resigned.  The  Barge  Of- 
fice was  first  used  for  the  reception  of  cabin  passengers 
from  ocean  vessels,  then  became  our  immigrant  station, 
and  is  now  used  by  the  customs  inspectors. 


THE  BARGE  OFFICE  AND  THE  BAY 


Chapter  IV 


Festivals  and  Pageants 


ASTLE  GARDEN  was  formerly  called  Castle 


States  Government  in  May,  1807,  and  a  fortification 
was  built  soon  afterwards,  but  owing  to  bad  engineer- 
ing the  foundations  of  the  structure  were  not  strong 
enough  to  support  the  weight  even  of  what  at  that  day 
was  considered  as  heavy  ordnance,  and  in  March,  1822, 
the  fort  and  ground  were  reconveyed  to  the  city. 

For  many  years  the  building  was  used  for  the  recep- 
tion of  distinguished  strangers,  for  fetes  and  festivals, 
concerts,  operas,  and  public  meetings  of  various  kinds. 
Here  the  annual  fairs  of  the  American  Institute  were 
held  until  the  year  1855,  when  the  Commissioners  of 
Emigration  secured  the  premises  by  lease  as  a  landing- 
place  for  immigrants. 

Within  a  few  years  the  long-familiar  spectacle  of  a 
motley  throng  of  poor  foreigners,  clad  in  strange  garbs, 
and  speaking  more  tongues  than  Babel  ever  knew,  has 
become  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  last  change  in  the 
varied  history  of  Castle  Garden  was  its  conversion  into 
a  great  free  aquarium,  where  every  day  thousands  of 
visitors  find  their  recreation. 


Clinton.  The  site  was  granted  by  the  Cor- 
poration of  New  York  City  to  the  United 


42 


The  Hudson  River 


Of  all  the  various  tides  in  the  affairs  of  this  notable 
fort  (whose  aspect  and  name  have  been  warlike,  but 
whose  record  has  all  been  suggestive  of  the  piping 
times  of  peace),  none  has  led  more  im.mediately  to 
fortune,  as  well  as  fame,  than  Jenny  Lind's  first  con- 
cert on  September  ii,  1850.  An  account  of  this  event 
was  published  in  the  New  York  Herald  of  the  following 
morning  w^ith  this  commencement: 

The  long-looked-for  event  has  come  ofE.  Jenny  Lind  has 
sung  in  Castle  Garden  to  an  audience  of  five  thousand  persons. 

Never  did  a  mortal  in  this  city,  or  perhaps  any  other, 
receive  such  homage  as  the  sovereign  of  song  received  from  the 
sovereign  people. 

Among  the  advertisements  of  the  da}^  preceding  the 
concert  the  following  notice  appeared: 


CASTLE  GARDEN.— FIRST 
APPEARANCE  OF  MLLE. 
JENNY  LIND,  on  Wednesday  eve- 
ning, September  ii,  1850. 

PROGRAMME. 

P.\RT  I. 

Overture — "Oberon."    C.    M.  V. 
Weber. 
Aria — "  Sorgete." 

(Maometto  secondo)  Rossini. 

Sung  by  Sig.  Belletti. 
Scena  and  Cavatina — ' ' Casta  Diva. ' ' 

(Norma)  Bellini. 

M'lle  Jenny  Lind. 
Grand  Duet  for  two  Piano  Fortes. 

Thalberg. 
Messrs.  Benedict  and  Hoffman. 
Duet — "Per  Piacer." 

(II  Turco  in  Italia)  Rossini. 

M'lle  Jenny  Lind  and  Sig.  Belletti. 


PART  II. 

Overture — ' '  Crusaders. ' '  (First 

time  in  America)  Benedict. 

Trio  Concertante  for  Voice  and  two 
Flutes ....  (Camp  of  Silesia)  .  . 

Meyerbeer. 

Composed  expressly  for  M'lle  Jenny 
Lind. 

M'lle  Jenny  Lind. 
Flutes — Messrs.  Kyle  and  Siede. 
Aria  Buffa — "Largo  al  factotum." 

(Barbiere)  Rossini. 

Sig.  Belletti. 
Swedish  Melody — "Herdsman's 
Song"  (known  as  the  Echo  Song) 
Sung  by  M'lle  Jenny  Lind. 
Greeting  to  America — Prize  Com- 
position, by  Bayard  Taylor,  Esq. 
Benedict — Composed  expressly  for 
this  occasion. 
M'lle  Jenny  Lind. 
Conductor — Mr.  Benedict. 


Festivals  and  Pageants 


45 


Great  excitement  was  caused  by  the  auction  sale  of 
a  choice  of  seats,  Mr.  Genin,  the  hatter,  securing  the 
first  place  on  the  opening  night  for  what  was  then  con- 
sidered the  very  large  sum  of  S225.  A  contemporary 
report  pictures  the  scene  at  the  Garden : 

At  four  o'clock  Jenny  Lind  arrived  at  the  Garden,  in  order  to 
pass  quietly  and  unobserved  through  the  crowd.  She  dressed 
there  instead  of  at  the  hotel.  At  five  o'clock  the  gates  were 
thrown  open,  and  from  that  time  until  eight  o'clock  there  was  a 
continuous  tide  of  human  beings  passing  into  the  capacious 
building.  The  numbers  from  the  country  were  very  consider- 
able. They  were  from  New  Haven,  Newport,  Albany,  Newark 
and  various  other  cities;  and  when  all  were  seated,  it  was  indeed 
a  splendid  sight.  The  ladies'  dresses  were  very  magnificent,  and 
such  as  the  great  mass  of  women  in  no  other  country  in  the  world 
can  afford  to  wear.  The  fair  sex  were  not  as  numerous  as  might 
be  expected,  the  gentlemen  outnumbering  them  considerably; 
but  those  who  were  present  seemed  to  enjoy  the  concert  in  the 
highest  degree.  It  is  very  probable  that  many  ladies  were  kept 
away  for  the  first  night  by  the  fear  of  being  crushed;  but  when 
they  find  that  their  apprehensions  were  groundless,  they  will 
doubtless  take  the  Castle  by  storm  to-morrow  night. 

The  river,  we  read,  was  thronged  with  boats  that 
stayed  throughout  the  performance,  and  in  many  cases 
were  manned  and  occupied  by  those  to  whom  the  news- 
papers of  the  time  referred  as  "  the  rougher  element." 

Jenny  Lind's  share  of  the  proceeds  from  the  first 
concert  was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  ten  thousand 
dollars,  an  enormous  sum  for  a  singer  of  that  day  to  re- 
ceive for  a  single  performance.  It  added  greatly  to  the 
popular  appreciation  of  the  "Casta  Diva"  that  she 
bestowed  this  sum  upon  various  charitable  and  public 


46 


The  Hudson  River 


institutions  in  New  York  City.  In  the  bestowment  of 
the  largest  sum,  three  thousand  dollars,  upon  the  (tlien 
volunteer)  fire  department  fund,  may  perhaps  be  de- 
tected the  fine  advertising  instinct  of  her  manager,  Mr. 
P.  T.  Bar  num. 

Many  notable  pageants  and  many  distinguished 
names  are  associated  with  Castle  Garden.  Here,  more 
than  once,  the  people  of  the  city  have  welcomed  a  cele- 
brated guest  with  all  the  enthusiasm  that  in  later  days 
we  have  seen  evinced  for  an  Am.erican  or  a  German 
admiral. 

The  accounts  given  of  the  landing  of  Lafayette  and 
his  reception  at  Castle  Garden,  in  August,  1824,  show 
how  far  from  being  a  new  thing  it  is  for  the  average 
Manhattanite  to  express  his  feelings  vehemently  when 
a  reception  is  in  progress.  The  1 5th  was  Sunday,  and 
the  visitor  was  escorted  from  his  ship  to  the  Vice- 
President's  house,  Staten  Island.  But  on  Monday  New 
York  went  mad.  All  business  was  suspended ;  the 
people  were  thronging  every  point  of  vantage,  even  the 
housetops,  and  the  streets  were  filled  with  an  expectant 
multitude. 

The  animated  scenes  attending  his  landing  at  Castle  Garden, 
upon  a  carpeted  stairway,  under  a  magnificent  arch,  richly  decor- 
ated with  flags  and  wreaths  of  laurel,  while  groups  of  escorting 
vessels,  alive  with  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  adorned  in  the  most 
fanciful  manner,  circled  about ;  and  the  prolonged  shouts  of  hosts 
of  people,  and  the  roar  of  cannon  echoed  far  away  over  the 
waters,  together  with  the  parade  in  Broadway,  the  reception  at 
City  Hall,  the  speeches,  the  banquet,  and  the  illumination — are 


Festivals  and  Pageants 


47 


all  more  familiar  to  the  public  of  to-day  than  many  other  features 
of  the  historic  visit.  Lafayette  spent  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  and 
Thursday  in  shaking  hands  and  sight-seeing  in  New  York,  and  on 
Friday,  August  20,  left  for  Providence  and  Boston. 

New  York  had  occupied  itself  in  the  interval  between 
General  Lafayette's  departure  for  Boston  and  his  re- 
turn in  preparing  for  a  celebration  that  should  make 
all  previous  celebrations  pale  their  ineffectual  fires.  It 
was  to  take  place  at  Castle  Garden  on  the  14th  of  Sep- 
tember, and  was  under  the  immediate  supervision  of 
Generals  Mapes,  Morton,  Fleming,  and  Benedict,  and 
Colonel  W.  H.  Maxwell,  Colonel  King,  Mr.  Colden,  and 
Mr.  Lynch.  The  sedate  Evening  Post  even  broke  into 
expressions  of  rapture  at  the  result. 

We  hazard  nothing  [it  affirmed]  in  saying  that  it  was  the 
most  magnificent  fete  given  under  cover  in  the  world.  ...  It 
was  a  festival  that  realises  all  that  we  read  of  in  the  Persian  tales 
or  Arabian  Nights,  which  dazzled  the  eye  and  bewildered  the 
imagination,  and  which  produced  so  many  powerful  combina- 
tions, by  magnificent  preparations,  as  to  set  description  almost 
at  defiance.  We  never  saw  ladies  more  brilliantly  dressed — 
everything  that  fashion  and  elegance  could  devise  was  used  on 
the  occasion.  Their  head-dresses  were  principally  of  flowers, 
with  ornamented  combs,  and  some  with  plumes  of  ostrich 
feathers.  White  and  black  lace  dresses  over  satin  were  mostly 
worn,  with  a  profusion  of  steel  ornaments  and  neck  chains  of  gold 
and  silver,  suspended  to  which  were  beautiful  gold  and  silver 
badge  medals,  bearing  a  likeness  of  Lafayette,  manufactured  for 
the  occasion.  The  gentlemen  had  suspended  from  the  button- 
holes of  their  coats  a  similar  likeness,  and,  with  the  ladies,  had 
the  same  stamped  on  their  gloves.  A  belt  or  sash,  with  a  likeness 
of  the  general,  and  entwined  with  a  chaplet  of  roses,  also  formed 
part  of  the  dress  of  the  ladies.    Foreigners  who  were  present 


48 


The  Hudson  River 


admitted  they  had  never  seen  anything  equal  to  this  fete  in  tlie 
several  countries  from  which  they  came — the  blaze  of  light  and 
beauty,  the  decorations  of  the  military  officers,  tlie  combination 
of  rich  colours  wliich  met  the  eye  at  every  glance,  the  brilliant 
circle  of  fashion  in  the  galleries,  everything  in  the  range  of  sight 
being  inexpressibly  beautiful,  and  doing  great  credit  and  honour 
to  the  managers  and  all  engaged  in  this  novel  spectacle.  The 
guests  numbered  several  thousand,  but  there  was  abundant 
room  for  the  dancing,  which  commenced  at  an  early  hour,  and 
was  kept  up  until  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Lafayette  proeeeded  up  the  Hudson  almost  imme- 
diately, making  but  few  stops  on  his  way  to  Albany. 
One  of  these  pauses  was  at  Hudson,  where  a  great  re- 
ception was  given  in  his  honour.  To  have  met  and 
conversed  with  the  celebrated  visitor  was  an  honour 
which  many  a  budding  beauty  of  that  day  treasured 
till  threescore  and  ten  one,  indeed,  long  past  four- 
score, told  the  present  writer  of  her  life-long  regret 
that  she  had  allowed  the  denial  of  a  new  gown  to  stand 
in  the  way  of  her  going,  and  described  the  costumes  of 
her  friends,  which  included  white  gloves  with  the  por- 
trait of  Lafayette  painted  upon  the  backs. 

The  year  following  Lafayette's  visit  brought  another 
event  to  be  written  large  in  the  chronicles  of  Castle 
Garden. 

One  of  the  brightest  of  the  spectacular  display^s  that 
New  York  witnessed  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century  was  that  connected  with  the  completion  of 
the  Erie  Canal,  1825.  A  fleet  as  large  as  had  ever  as- 
sembled before  the  city  up  to  that  time  thronged  the 
river,  and  the  vessels  were  decorated  with  bunting  and 


Festivals  and  Pageants 


49 


streamers  till  it  seemed  as  if  they  could  hold  no  more. 
This  gorgeous  concourse  of  vessels  formed  a  circle  about 
the  canal-boat — the  first  canal-boat — from  Lake  Erie. 
In  circumference  this  marine  pageant  is  said  to  have 
measured  three  miles  and  to  have  preserved  a  solemnity 
of  deportment  quite  in  contrast  to  that  noisy  hilarity 
that  distinguished  the  fleet  which  at  a  later  day  sailed 
down  to  assist  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Liberty, 
upon  Bedloe's  Island. 

Upon  the  canal-boat  that  formed  the  centre  of  the 
circle  on  the  earlier  occasion  here  described  was  a  keg 
with  gilded  hoops,  filled  to  the  bunghole  with  water 
from  Lake  Erie.  With  all  the  dignity  which  the  occa- 
sion demanded  and  the  manners  of  the  day  prescribed, 
De  Witt  Clinton,  who  was  present  with  his  wife  and 
retinue,  poured  the  water  overboard  to  mingle  with 
that  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  It  was  a  pretty  bit  of  sym- 
bolism, possible  to  people  bred  to  the  formalities  of  a 
somewhat  artificial  life,  and  no  doubt  carried  out  with 
becoming  gravity.  Medals  were  then  distributed  to 
the  honoured  guests  of  the  occasion,  after  w^hich  we 
may  surmise  that  dignity  unbent  and  a  somewhat  more 
rampant  Americanism  reigned.  We  are  told  that  a 
lady  who  was  present  wrote  at  a  late  hour  that  night: 

We  met  all  the  world  and  his  wife;  military  heroes,  noble 
statesmen,  artificial  and  natural  characters,  the  audacious,  the 
clownish,  the  polished  and  refined;  but  we  were  squeezed  to 
death  and  heartily  tired. 

Fifty-one  gold  medals  were  struck  in  commemora- 


50 


The  Hudson  River 


turn  of  this  event,  and  were  sent  in  red  morocco 
cases  to  monarchs  and  celebrated  subjects  all  over  the 
world. 

Among  the  latest  and  in  many  respects  unequalled 
among  the  naval  parades  in  the  history  of  the  world 
was  that  which  swept  majestically  past  the  Battery 
and  Castle  Garden  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  Columbian 
celebration  in  October,  1892.  There  were  four  nations 
represented  in  the  parade,  and  they  sent  each  a 
contingent  of  warships  that  when  massed  together 
formed  a  fleet  the  like  of  which  perhaps  has  never  been 
seen. 

One  of  the  best  descriptions  of  this  magnificent  dis- 
play was  that  published  in  the  Magazine  of  American 
History  for  November  of  that  year: 

The  advance  guard  of  the  marine  procession  was  a  broad  line 
of  some  twenty-one  tugs,  stretching  half  across  the  mile- wide 
Hudson  with  an  almost  perfect  alignment,  as  if  a  file  of  soldiers 
on  parade;  they  were  manned  by  white-uniformed  volunteers. 
Among  the  craft  that  followed  the  saucy-looking  tugs,  was  con- 
spicuous the  torpedo  boat  Ciishing,  on  which  was  Commander 
Kane,  and  tiny  steam  yachts  darted  back  and  forth  like  winged 
birds,  apparently  distributing  orders  for  the  chief — a  singular 
contrast  to  the  Indian  canoes  that  for  centuries  monopolized 
these  waters.  They  bore  the  aides  of  the  commander,  among 
whom  were  General  S.  V.  R.  Cruger,  James  W.  Beekman,  Wood- 
bury Kane,  Archibald  Rogers,  Irving  Grinnell,  and  many  other 
well-known  gentlemen.  The  great  steamer  Howard  Carroll, 
bearing  a  host  of  notables — a  burden  of  eminence  not  easily  de- 
scribed— seemed  to  parade  all  by  herself  in  lordly  grandeur. 
Then  came  three  large  steamers  sailing  abreast,  the  Sam  Sloan, 
Matteawan,  and  MoJiawk,  on  which  was  the  Committee  of  One 


Festivals  and  Pageants 


51 


Hundred  and  their  invited  guests.  An  interval  of  open  water 
was  given  for  the  gigantic  war  vessels  of  America,  Spain,  Italy, 
and  France,  a  column  of  stately  men-of-war,  the  chief  attraction 
in  the  pageant.  They  moved  in  three  Indian  files,  the  foreigners 
flanked  by  the  white-hulled  vessels  of  America.  On  their  decks 
and  bridges  and  in  their  lookouts  were  drawn  up  the  various 
crews,  looking  like  statues  at  a  distance,  so  impassively  did  they 
hold  their  respective  stations.  Our  flagship  PJiiladelphia,  of  the 
White  Squadron,  was  on  the  right,  with  her  high  white  hull,  and 
her  two  yellow  smokestacks.  The  trim  despatch  vessel  Dolphin 
followed  in  her  wake,  and  the  long,  low,  dynamite  projector 
Vesuvius,  looking  like  a  torpedo  boat  enlarged,  brought  up  the 
rear.  The  place  of  honor  in  the  centre  was  given  to  the  French 
flagship  Arethuse,  the  largest  of  the  foreign  contingent,  with  her 
triple  row  of  portholes  and  towering  masts,  effective  for  display, 
and  behind  her  came  her  mate,  the  rakish  white  Hiizzard.  The 
Italian  flagship,  Bausaii,  is  a  big,  black,  stately  ship  of  modern 
type,  which  was  regarded  on  all  sides  with  special  admiration. 
The  little  Spanish  cruiser  Infanta  Isabel  proudly  carried  the  colors 
of  Columbus.  On  the  left  was  the  United  States  monitor  Mian- 
tonomoJi,  our  coast  defender, which  looks  very  much  like  a  floating 
derrick,  and  bears  promise  of  deadly  work  if  it  should  be  called 
into  use.  She  was  followed  by  the  graceful  Atlajita,  one  of  our 
earliest  group  of  steel  vessels,  and  the  little  yacht-like  Blake. 

Behind  this  majestic  craft  came  the  immense  flotilla  of  mer- 
chant vessels,  steamers,  yachts,  excursion  boats,  and  fire-boats 
that  lent  spectacular  interest  to  the  scene  by  spouting  great 
streams  of  water  into  the  air  as  they  sailed — streams  that  have 
force  enough  to  knock  down  brick  walls. 

From  the  start  to  the  finish  there  was  no  place  where  the 
pageant  made  such  an  impressive  display  as  between  the  shores 
of  the  incomparable  Hudson.  It  was  a  picture  of  the  civilization 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  too  vast  for  a  painter  and  inexpressible 
in  words.  From  the  vessels  in  the  procession  the  spectacle  was 
even  more  remarkable.  No  other  city  in  the  world  has  such  a 
stretch  of  water-front  as  New  York,  and  the  space  was  all  taken. 
The  tops  of  the  tall  buildings  were  crowded  with  spectators,  also 
the  masts  of  vessels  at  anchor,  the  roofs  of  cars  and  boats,  and 


52 


The  1  Iiulson  River 


every  foot  of  shore  along  the  whole  route.  Staten  Island  and 
New  Jersey  were  not  beholden  to  New  York  for  a  view,  but  occu- 
pied their  own  roofs  and  side-hills.  Riverside  Park,  which  is 
three  miles  long,  afforded  a  continuous  bluff  that  was  thoroughly 
appreciated  by  thousands  and  thousands  of  sight-seers,  while  tlie 
handsome  mansions  on  the  park  drive  were  generously  thrown 
open  to  invited  guests.  When  the  war-ships  came  in  front  of 
Grant's  tomb  they  anchored  while  the  great  procession  of  civic 
boats  passed  by,  and  at  every  masthead  floated  the  American 
ensign  with  all  the  colors  of  other  nations,  denoting  that  the 
foreign  vessels  were  taking  part  in  a  ceremonial  that  was  Amer- 
ican and  national.  The  vessel  which  closed  the  procession  was 
the  Vamoose,  restraining  her  speed  like  a  greyhound  in  leash.  It 
was  altogether  a  great  display,  and  one  of  which  New  York  may 
ever  be  justly  proud.  "The  queen  of  the  western  waves  sat  by 
her  waters  in  glory  and  in  light  all  day,  proud  of  the  past  and 
hopeful  of  the  future.  " 

Space  fails  in  which  to  print  even  a  Hst  of  the  nota- 
ble water  parades  that  have  passed  Manhattan  Island. 
How  many  were  the  thousands  of  people  that  risked 
annihilation  to  catch  even  a  glimpse  of  the  warships 
that  had  made  history  under  the  guns  of  Spanish  forts 
and  aided  in  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish  navy! 
Through  w^hat  heat  of  sun,  or  bitterness  of  wind,  or 
cheerless,  driving  rain,  have  not  the  population  of  New 
York  stood,  hour  after  hour,  to  see  a  fleet  of  marine 
monsters,  with  bunting  streaming  and  yards  manned, 
sweep  by  in  glorious  procession! 

As  a  race  we  appreciate  spectacles:  we  love  the 
gleam  of  metal,  the  concourse  of  people,  the  rolling  of 
drums,  and  the  fanfare  of  trumpets.  We  love  a  parade, 
and  we  fall  into  paroxysms  of  ])atriotism  when  a  hero 
appears.    We  have  only  one  limit :  we  do  not  wish  our 


Festivals  and  Pageants  53 

enthusiasms  to  be  remembered  against  us.  When  we 
tell  a  hero  that  he  is  a  demigod  and  can  have  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States  for  the  asking,  we 
resent  being  taken  too  seriously. 


A  TOW  GOING  OUT  TO  SEA 


Chapter  V 


Along  the  Manhattan  Shore 

IT  may  not  be  a  generally  appreciated  fact  that 
Manhattan  Island  is  the  very  home  of  modesty. 
From  the  earliest  times  the  habit  of  New  York 
has  been  rather  to  do  things  than  to  talk  about  them 
after  they  are  done.  The  shore-line  that  stretches 
northward  from  the  Battery  has  been  the  scene  of 
exploits  enough  to  inspire  a  volume  of  epics  or  to  make 
the  lasting  reputation  of  a  dozen  ordinary  cities. 

The  traditions  of  the  river  shore  are  marked  usually 
by  a  simple  directness  that  suggests  the  Chronicles  of 
the  Hebrews.  They  fill  here  and  there  a  few  lines  of 
an  old  journal,  or  are  parenthetically  referred  to  in 
some  manual  of  obsolete  events.  So  and  so  did  such 
and  such  a  deed,  and  there  was  an  end  of  it. 

We  have  a  sample  of  such  tales  in  the  following  vera- 
cious narrative:  Previous  to  1812,  a  riverman,  or 
some  one  connected  with  one  of  the  markets  along- 
shore, was  impressed  by  the  captain  of  a  British  vessel. 
The  people  of  the  neighbourhood,  roused  hy  this  high- 
handed proceeding,  seized  a  boat  belonging  to  the  said 
captain,  broke  it  up,  and  burned  it.    They  then  com- 

54 


i 


Along  the  Manhattan  Shore 


57 


pelled  the  captain  to  release  his  prisoner.  From  that 
day  Shanghai-ing  fell  into  disrepute  along  the  North 
River. 

At  Cruger's  Dock  occurred  one  of  the  deeds  which  in 
any  other  city  under  the  sun  would  have  been  cele- 
brated in  song  and  woven  into  story,  but  which  in  New 
York  was  allowed  to  go  almost  unrecorded.  Out  of 
some  dusty  pile  of  records  one  draws  the  scanty  ac- 
count of  the  arrival  of  Captain  Haviland,  on  the  13th 
of  January,  1768,  with  a  supply  of  stamps,  and  of  the 
gathering  at  the  dock  that  evening  of  a  company  of 
armed  men,  who  captured  the  stamps  and  burned 
them. 

That  is  all.  If  it  had  been  Boston,  and  a  cargo  of 
tea,  how  sonorously  the  deed  would  have  been  ex- 
ploited ! 

At  the  foot  of  West  loth  Street — or  near  it — was 
the  old  State  prison,  which  at  least  one  boarding- 
house-keeper  in  the  vicinity  advertised  as  an  attrac- 
tion. One  of  the  early  morning  sights  of  the  city  is 
that  of  the  market  at  West  Street,  near  Gansevoort 
and  Little  West  Tenth.  This  is  one  of  the  survivals 
from  the  old  days  of  river  boats  and  farm  trucking,  and 
is  a  part  of  the  story  of  the  Hudson. 

In  the  years  1780-85,  the  Vauxhall  Gardens,  at  the 
North  River  end  of  Warren  Street,  were  at  the  height 
of  their  vogue.  There  were  other  places  of  resort  that 
at  a  later  date  monopolised  the  fashionable  throng; 
notably  Columbia,  not  far   from   the   Battery,  on 


58 


The  Hudson  River 


Broadway,  and  Mt.  Vernon,  about  where  Leonard 
Street  is  now.  The  Vauxhall  Gardens  of  that  early 
day  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  theatre  of  the 
same  name  which  was  the  favourite  resort  of  a  later 
generation.  Five  blocks  farther  np  the  shore  from 
\^auxhall,  just  at  the  end  of  a  hill  that  figured  in  the 
plans  of  the  fortifications  of  1776-77,  was  a  foundry. 

One  of  the  most  |)rominent  buildings  from  the  river 
a  century  ago  w^as  the  hospital  that  stood  near  Duane 
Street  and  Broadway,  upon  an  eminence  that  was 
considerable  then,  but  has  since  been  ''graded"  till  un- 
discoverable.  Between  the  hospital  and  the  river  stood 
a  chapel,  and  to  the  south  of  that,  on  the  double  square 
between  Murray  and  Barclay  Streets,  the  old  college 
buildings.  There  was  nothing  then  to  hide  St.  Paul's 
Church  from  those  who  w^ent  up  or  down  in  the  sloops 
and  schooners  that  thronged  the  river,  and  above  all  else 
in  the  city  old  Trinity  loomed,  a  magnificent  landmark. 

Old  Paulus  Hook  Ferry,  at  the  foot  of  Cortlandt 
Street,  w^as  often  spelled  Powles  Hook  on  old  maps. 
In  1780  the  Hudson  froze  from  shore  to  shore,  and  was 
measured  over  the  ice  at  this  point,  proving  to  be  two 
thousand  yards  wide.  Fifteen  years  afterwards  the 
records  tell  us  that  "  Powdes  Hook  Ferry  was  leased 
for  Two  hundred  and  Fifty  Pounds  per  annum."  Only 
a  few  years  later  all  of  the  public  w^harves  and  slips, 
piers  and  docks,  around  the  city  sold  for  one  year  for 
$42,750.  Colonel  John  Stevens,  in  181 1,  ran  his  steam 
ferry-boat  from  this  point. 


Along  the  Manhattan  Shore 


59 


It  would  not  be  possible  to  write  even  a  meagre 
account  of  the  Manhattan  shore  and  neglect  Anneke 
Jans  Bogardus  and  her  farm.  That  farm,  which  ex- 
tended from  where  Warren  Street  is  to  above  Des- 
brosses  Street,  was  granted  as  a  Bouwerie  to  Roeloff 
Jansen,  who  had  been  employed  by  the  Patroon  Van 
Rensselaer,  up  the  river.  His  widow  was  considered 
a  very  desirable  match,  and  no  doubt  had  many 
suitors,  but  she  conveyed  her  goodly  inheritance, 
along  with  her  buxom  person,  to  the  grave  and  rever- 
end Domine  Everardus  Bogardus,  stated  minister  of 
the  Dutch  Church. 

What  a  pair  they  were !  he  with  his  austere  bearing, 
his  ministerial  garb,  and  theological  bent ;  she  sprightly 
and  not  too  unworldly.  It  must  have  been  an  inter- 
esting sight  when  Madame  Bogardus  danced  and  the 
Domine  paid  the  piper.  He  was  a  loyal  gentleman 
and  knew  what  his  position  demanded.  We  read  that 
when  some  jealous  dame  declared  that  Anneke  had 
coquettishly  shown  more  of  her  clocked  stocking  than 
propriety  demanded,  her  reverend  husband  promptly 
brought  suit  for  slander,  and  received  damages.  It 
appears,  indeed,  that  Bogardus  was  something  of  a 
fighter,  and  figured  as  plaintiff  or  defendant  in  several 
law-suits. 

But  to  return  to  the  farm :  e\'ery  one  who  knows  his 
New  York  at  all  knows  w^hat  years  of  litigation  over 
the  inheritance  of  part  of  that  property  have  made  it 
one  of  the  most  famous  pieces  of  real  estate  in  the 


6o 


The  Hudson  River 


world,  and  its  mistress  as  well  known  as  Queen  Anne 
or  Pocahontas.  And  wherever  the  name  of  Anneke 
Jans  is  mentioned,  and  the  now  fabulously  valuable 
property  becomes  a  subject  of  conversation,  the  tall 
spire  of  old  Trinity  begins  to  rise  upon  the  mental 
vision  like  a  finger  of  warning  against  all  profane 
claimants. 


NEW  YORK  HARBOUR  FROM  ONE  OF  THE  SKY-SCRAPERS 


Those  who  knew  this  part  of  the  shore  a  generation 
ago  knew  Lispenard's  swamp,  that  was  in  reality  a 
salt  meadow  until  comparatively  recent  years.  It  lay 
on  both  sides  of  the  present  Canal  Street,  and  when 
New  York  was  young  was  a  favourite  resort  for  all  the 
amateur  sportsmen  of  the  neighbourhood.  The  Ocean 
Steamship  Company's  piers  now  occupy  a  part  of  that 
shore,  and  bales  and  boxes  and  barrels  of  Savannah 
freight,  cotton,  and  naval  stores  are  spread  in  ap- 
parent confusion  where  the  wild  duck  used  to  fly  among 


Along  the  Manhattan  Shore  6i 


the  pools,  and  the  swamp-wren  built  her  nest  in  the 
rushes. 

Along  the  river  shore  above  Lispenard's  swamp,  or 
meadow,  and  reaching  inland  nearly  to  the  old  Boston 
and  Albany  Road  (that  is,  the  Bowery)  was  that  de- 
lightful suburb  known  as  Greenwich  Village.  Along 
the  shore  northward  from  old  Vauxhall  and  Harrison's 
Brewery  the  old  maps  show  the  "  Road  to  Greenwich." 
Its  first  name  was  Sapokanican,  which  the  Dutch 
changed  to  the  Bossen  Bouwerie.  Where  White  Star 
and  Cunard  steamers  now  come  to  their  wharves,  the 
pleasant  grassy  slopes  reached  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  nothing  more  pretentious  than  one  of  the 
"yachts"  of  some  up-river  potentate  ever  sent  a  ripple 
to  that  strand. 

Through  the  Bouwerie  ran  the  Manetta  brook,  that 
famous  water  that,  in  spite  of  burying  and  culverting 
and  filling  in,  has  been  the  dread  of  architects  and 
builders  down  to  the  present  day.  Washington 
Square  was  within  the  village  boundaries  when  Wash- 
ington Square  was  nothing  but  a  marsh  where  the 
crack  of  a  duck-gun  might  occasionally  have  been 
heard. 

''Admiral"  Peter  Warren  (who  was  only  Captain 
Warren  at  that  time)  built  a  house  somewhere  about 
1744  in  Greenwich.  That  house  afterwards  became, 
and  was  for  many  years,  the  residence  of  Abraham  Van 
Ness,  Esq.  Around  it  clustered  other  fine  houses: 
there  came  the  Bayards  and  the  de  Lanceys  and  James 


62 


The  Hudson  River 


Jauncey,  and  there  the  fashionables  of  their  time  were 
accustomed  to  turn  for  a  drive  into  the  country. 

Thomas  A.  Janvier,  who  made  a  delightful  study  of 
old  Greenwich  Village,  says  of  its  inhabitants: 

Very  proper  and  elegant  people  were  all  of  these,  and — their 
seats  being  at  a  convenient  distance  from  the  city — their  elegant 
friends  living  in  New  York  found  pleasure  in  making  Greenwich 
an  objective  point  when  taking  the  air  of  fine  afternoons.  And 
even  when  visiting  was  out  of  the  question,  a  turn  through 
Greenwich  to  the  j\Ionument  was  a  favorite  expedition  among 
the  gentle-folk  of  a  century  or  so  ago. 

Until  about  the  year  1767,  access  to  this  region  was  only  by 
the  Greenwich  Road,  close  upon  the  line  of  the  present  Greenwich 
Street  and  directly  upon  the  water-side. 

Greenwich  Lane  was  called  also  Monument  Lane  and  Obelisk 
Lane:  for  the  reason  that  at  its  northern  extremity,  a  little  north 
of  the  present  Eighth  Avenue  and  Fifteenth  Street,  was  a  monu- 
ment in  honor  of  General  Vl^olfe.  After  the  erection  of  this  me- 
morial to  the  hero  of  Quebec  the  drive  of  good  society  was  out 
the  Post  Road  to  the  Greenwich  turning;  thence  across  to  the 
Obelisk;  thence  by  the  Great  Kill  Road  (the  present  Gansevoort 
Street)  over  to  the  Hudson;  and  so  homeward  by  the  river-side 
while  the  sun  was  sinking  in  golden  glory  behind  the  Jersey  hills. 
Or  the  drive  could  be  extended  a  little  by  going  out  the  Post 
Road  as  far  as  Love  Lane,  and  thence  south  by  the  Southampton, 
Warren,  or  Fitzroy  Road  to  the  Great  Kill  Road,  and  so  by  the 
water-side  back  to  town. 

Chelsea  was  a  village  that  lay  principally  between 
what  is  now  Seventh  Avenue  and  the  river,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Twenty-second  and  Twenty-third 
Streets.  The  land  had  originally  been  part  of  a  farm 
or  bouwerie  belonging  to  Jacob  and  Teunis  Somerin- 
dyke,  but  was  purchased  in  1750  by  an  English  veteran 


Along  the  Manhattan  Shore 


63 


named  Thomas  Clarke.  Afterwards  his  widow  built  a 
handsome  house,  and  subsequently  Bishop  Moore,  Presi- 
dent of  Columbia  College,  purchased  and  mxade  it  his 
home.  This  property  was  given  by  President  Moore 
to  his  son,  Clement  C.  Moore,  whose  name  is  forever 
enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  New  Yorkers  as  the  author 
of  The  Night  before  Christmas. 

But  popular  appreciation  had  not  3^et  reached  far 
enough  to  restrain  the  predatory  bands  of  boys  and 
men  who  enjoyed  the  fruits  of  nocturnal  forays  upon 
the  garden  and  orchards  of  Chelsea,  so  in  a  fit  of  des- 
peration the  owner  sought  counsel  and  concluded  to 
survey  his  land  and  lay  it  out  in  building  lots. 

There  was  some  question  whether  merchants  doing 
business  in  New  York  could  be  induced  to  travel  so  far 
night  and  morning,  but  the  rapid-transit  problem  was 
solved  by  the  establishment  of  the  Knickerbocker  line 
of  stages,  run  by  Palmer  &  Peters,  whose  stables  stood 
where  the  Grand  Opera  House  does  now.  The  par- 
tition of  the  estate  into  village  lots  went  forward 
rapidly,  and  fortunes  were  made  by  men  who  saw  a 
little  way  into  the  future  and  speculated  on  the  rise  in 
realty.  After  a  time  Chelsea  had  its  own  stores, 
schools,  and  offices,  a  church,  a  theological  seminary, 
and  a  fire  company,  and  the  value  of  the  Moore  estate 
is  reckoned  by  millions  of  dollars. 

The  Glass  House  farm,  extending  from  Thirty-fifth 
Street  northward,  was  so  named  from  an  unsuccessful 
attempt  to  make  glass  there  at  an  early  day.  This 


64 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


farm  was  purchased  just  after  the  Revokition  by  Rem 
Rapelje,  a  descendant  of  the  Rapeljes  who  became 
locall\^  famous  as  the  parents  of  the  first  white  child 
born  in  Manhattan.  Mr.  Rapelje  was  at  one  time  a 
wine  merchant,  and  the  cellars  of  the  house  at  the  farm 
were  well  stocked  with  port  and  Madeira,  and  a  pipe  of 
good  wine  was  always  on  tap  for  visitors.  Perhaps, 
after  all,  the  name  of  "  Glass  House  "  was  no  misnomer. 
At  that  time  the  farm  was  three  miles  and  a  half  from 
the  city:  it  is  now  practically  downtown.  Nothing 
could  more  strikingly  illustrate  the  vastness  of  the 
change  that  has  taken  place  on  Manhattan  Island  in  a 
little  more  than  a  century. 


Chapter  VI 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 

OPPOSITE  the  Battery  the  ancient  settlement 
of  Communipaw  forms  the  western  gateway 
of  the  river.  It  was  the  last  stronghold  of 
Dutch  manners  and  customs  that  the  descendants  of 
the  earliest  settlers  managed  to  hold  for  years  against 
the  ever-encroaching  spirit  of  the  age ;  and  it  is  hinted 
that  even  now,  however  modern  their  thoughts  may  be 
in  daytime,  the  true  sons  of  Communipaw  always 
dream  in  Dutch.  But  the  rumble  and  roar  of  the 
Philadelphia  and  Reading  cars  that  find  a  terminus 
here  interfere  sadly  with  dreaming. 

Yet  what  a  land  of  Nod  it  was  when  Diedrich 
Knickerbocker  discovered — or  did  he  invent — it? 

Among  favoured  places,  the  renowned  village  of  Communipaw 
was  ever  held  by  the  historian  of  New  Amsterdam  in  especial 
veneration.  Here  the  intrepid  crew  of  the  Goedc  V roinv  first  cast 
the  seeds  of  empire.  Hence  proceeded  the  expedition  under 
Oloffe  the  Dreamer,  to  found  the  city  of  New  Amsterdam,  vul- 
garly called  New- York,  which,  inheriting  the  genius  of  its 
founder,  has  ever  been  a  city  of  dreams  and  speculations.  Com- 
munipaw, therefore,  may  truly  be  called  the  parent  of  New- 
York,  though,  on  comparing  the  lowly  village  with  the  great 
flaunting  city  which  it  has  engendered,  one  is  forcibly  reminded 


66 


The  Hudson  Ri\  cr 


of  a  squat  little  hen  that  has  unwittingly  hatched  out  a  long- 
legged  turkey. 

It  is  a  mirror  also  of  New  Amsterdam,  as  it  was  before  the 
conquest.  Everything  bears  the  stamp  of  the  days  of  Olofife 
the  Dreamer,  Walter  the  Doubter,  and  the  other  worthies  of  the 
golden  age;  the  same  gable-fronted  houses,  surmounted  with 
weathercocks,  the  same  knee-buckles  and  shoe-buckles,  and 
close  quilled  caps,  and  linsey-woolsey  petticoats,  and  multi- 
farious breeches.  In  a  word,  Communipaw  is  a  little  Dutch 
Herculaneum,  or  Pompeii,  where  the  relics  of  the  classic  days  of 
the  New  Netherlands  are  preserved  in  their  pristine  state,  with 
the  exception  that  they  have  never  been  buried. 


r  ■ 


The  secret  of  all  this  wonderful  conservation  is  simple.  At 
the  time  that  New  Amsterdam  was  subjugated  by  the  Yankees 
and  their  British  allies,  as  Spain  was,  in  ancient  days,  by  the 
Saracens,  a  great  dispersion  took  place  among  the  inhabitants. 
One  resolute  band  determined  never  to  bend  their  necks  to  the 
yoke  of  the  invaders,  and,  led  by  Garret  Van  Horne,  a  gigantic 
Dutchman,  the  Pelaye  of  the  New  Netherlands,  crossed  the  bay, 
and  buried  themselves  among  the  marshes  of  Communipaw,  as 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


67 


did  the  Spaniards  of  yore  among  the  Asturian  mountains.  Here 
they  cut  off  all  communication  with  the  captured  city,  forbade 
the  English  language  to  be  spoken  in  their  community,  kept 
themselves  free  from  foreign  marriage  and  intermixture,  and 
have  thus  remained  the  pure  Dutch  seed  of  the  Manhattoes,  with 
which  the  city  may  be  repeopled,  whenever  it  is  effectually 
delivered  f.^om  the  Yankees. 

The  citadel  erected  by  Garret  Van  Home  exists  to  this  day  in 
possession  of  his  descendants,  and  is  known  by  the  lordly  ap- 
pellation of  the  House  of  the  Four  Chimneys,  from  having  a 
chimney  perched  like  a  turret  at  every  corner.  Here  are  to  be 
seen  articles  of  furniture  which  came  over  with  the  first  settlers 
from  Holland;  ancient  chests  of  drawers,  and  massive  clothes- 
presses,  quaintly  carved,  and  waxed  and  polished  until  they 
shine  like  mirrors.  Here  are  old  black-letter  volumes  with  brass 
clasps,  printed  of  yore  in  Ley  den,  and  handed  down  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  but  never  read.  Also  old  parchment  deeds  in 
Dutch  and  English,  bearing  the  seals  of  the  early  governors  of  the 
province. 

In  this  house  the  primitive  Dutch  holydays  of  Paas  and 
Pinxter  are  faithfully  kept  up,  and  New  Year  celebrated  with 
cookies  and  cherry  bounce;  nor  is  the  festival  of  the  good  St. 
Nicholas  forgotten;  when  all  the  children  are  sure  to  hang  up 
their  stockings,  and  to  have  them  filled  according  to  their  deserts; 
though  it  is  said  the  good  Saint  is  occasionally  perplexed,  in  his 
nocturnal  visits,  which  chimney  to  descend.  A  tradition  exists 
concerning  this  mansion,  which,  however  dubious  it  may  seem, 
is  treasured  up  with  good  faith  by  the  inhabitants.  It  is  said 
that  at  the  founding  of  it  St.  Nicholas  took  it  under  his  protec- 
tion, and  the  Dutch  Dominie  of  the  place,  who  was  a  kind  of 
soothsayer,  predicted  that  as  long  as  these  four  chimneys  stood 
Communipaw  would  flourish.  Now  it  came  to  pass  that  some 
years  since,  during  the  great  mania  for  land  speculation,  a  Yankee 
speculator  found  his  way  into  Communipaw  ;  bewildered  the 
old  burghers  with  a  project  to  erect  their  village  into  a  great 
sea-port;  made  a  lithographic  map,  in  which  their  oyster  beds 
were  transformed  into  docks  and  quays,  their  cabbage-gardens 
laid  out  in  town  lots  and  squares,  and  the  House  of  the  Four 


68 


The  Hudson  River 


Chimneys  metamorphosed  into  a  great  bank,  with  granite  pil- 
lars, which  was  to  enrich  the  whole  neighbourhood  with  j)aper 
money. 

Fortunately  at  this  juncture  there  rose  a  high  wind,  which 
shook  the  venerable  pile  to  its  foundation,  toppled  down  one  of 
the  chimneys,  and  blew  off  a  weathercock,  the  Lord  knows 
whither.  The  community  took  the  alarm,  they  drove  the  land 
speculator  from  their  shores,  and  since  that  day  not  a  Yankee 
has  dared  to  show  his  face  in  Communipaw. 

Among  all  the  gruesome  legends  of  the  west  shore 
of  the  river  none  is  more  famous  than  that  of  the 
''Guests  from  Gibbet  Island." 

Yan  Yost  Vanderscamp,  the  scapegrace  nephew  of 
the  innkeeper  of  Communipaw,  disappeared  with  old 
Pluto,  his  uncle's  negro  servant,  and  reappeared  years 
afterwards — ''a  rough,  burly  bully  ruffian,  with  fiery 
whiskers,  a  copper  nose,  a  scar  across  his  face,  and  a 
great  Flaunderish  beaver  slouched  on  one  side  of  his 
head."  With  him  was  Pluto,  grown  grizzled,  blind  of 
an  eye,  and  more  devilish  in  appearance  than  before. 

According  to  his  own  account  the  prodigal  had  se- 
cured the  fatted  calf  in  his  travels  and  had  brought  it 
home  with  him.  He  had  bags  full  of  money  and  ships 
in  every  sea.  He  and  a  company  of  roystering  com- 
panions he  had  brought  with  him  made  a  pandemonium 
of  the  Wild  Goose,  as  the  inn  was  named,  and 
shocked  the  respectable  burghers  of  Communipaw 
beyond  measure. 

At  intervals  the  swaggering  crew  would  disappear, 
to  return,  more  riotous  than  ever,  and  set  the  village 
once  more  by  the  ears: 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


69 


The  mystery  of  all  these  proceedings  gradually  dawned  upon 
the  tardy  intellects  of  Communipaw.  These  were  the  times 
of  the  notorious  Captain  Kidd,  when  the  American  harbours 
were  the  resorts  of  piratical  adventurers  of  all  kinds,  who,  under 
pretext  of  mercantile  voyages,  scoured  the  West  Indies,  made 
plundering  descents  upon  the  Spanish  Main,  visited  even  the  re- 
mote Indian  Seas,  and  then  came  to  dispose  of  their  booty,  have 
their  revels,  and  fit  out  new  expeditions,  in  the  English  colonies. 
.  .  .  At  length  the  attention  of  the  British  government  was 
called  to  these  piratical  enterprises,  that  were  becoming  so  fre- 
quent and  outrageous.  Vigorous  measures  were  taken  to  check 
and  punish  them.  Several  of  the  most  noted  freebooters  were 
caught  and  executed,  and  three  of  Vanderscamp's  chosen  com- 
rades, the  most  riotous  swashbucklers  of  the  Wild  Goose,  were 
hanged  in  chains  on  Gibbet  Island,  in  full  sight  of  their  favourite 
resort.  As  to  Vanderscamp  himself,  he  and  his  man  Pluto  again 
disappeared,  and  it  was  hoped  by  the  people  of  Communipaw 
that  he  had  fallen  in  some  foreign  brawl,  or  been  swung  on  some 
foreign  gallows.  .  .  .  This  perfect  calm  was  doomed  at 
length  to  be  ruffled.  The  fiery  persecution  of  the  pirates  gradu- 
ally subsided.  Justice  was  satisfied  with  the  examples  that  had 
been  made,  and  there  was  no  more  talk  of  Kidd,  and  the  other 
heroes  of  like  Kidney. 

On  a  calm  summer  evening,  a  boat,  somewhat  heavily  laden, 
was  seen  pulling  into  Communipaw.  What  was  the  surprise  and 
disquiet  of  the  inhabitants,  to  see  Yan  Yost  Vanderscamp  seated 
at  the  helm,  and  his  man  Pluto  tugging  at  the  oar.  Vander- 
scamp, however,  was  apparently  an  altered  man.  He  brought 
home  with  him  a  wife,  who  seemed  to  be  a  shrew,  and  to  have 
the  upper  hand  of  him.  He  no  longer  was  the  swaggering,  bully 
ruffian,  but  affected  the  regular  merchant,  and  talked  of  retiring 
from  business,  and  settling  down  quietly,  to  pass  the  rest  of  his 
days  in  his  native  place. 

The  Wild  Goose  mansion  was  again  opened,  but  with  dim- 
inished splendour,  and  no  riot.  It  is  true,  Vanderscamp  had  fre- 
quent nautical  visitors,  and  the  sound  of  revelry  was  occasionally 
overheard  in  his  house ;  but  everything  seemed  to  be  done  under 
the  rose;  and  old  Pluto  was  the  only  servant  that  officiated  at 


70 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


these  orgies.  The  visitors,  indeed,  were  by  no  means  of  the 
turbulent  stamp  of  their  predecessors;  but  quiet,  mysterious 
traders,  full  of  nods,  and  winks,  and  hieroglyphic  signs,  with 
whom,  to  use  their  cant  phrase,  "everything  was  smug."  Their 
ships  came  to  anchor  at  night,  in  the  lower  bay ;  and,  on  a  private 
signal,  Vanderscamp  would  launch  his  boat,  and,  accompanied 
solely  by  his  man  Pluto,  would  make  them  mysterious  visits. 
Sometimes  boats  pulled  in  at  night,  in  front  of  the  Wild  Goose, 
and  various  articles  of  merchandise  were  landed  in  the  dark,  and 
spirited  away,  nobody  knew  whither.  One  of  the  more  curious 
of  the  inhabitants  kept  watch,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
features  of  some  of  these  night  visitors,  by  the  casual  glance  of  a 
lantern,  and  declared  that  he  recognized  more  than  one  of  the 
freebooting  frequenters  of  the  Wild  Goose,  in  former  times: 
from  whence  he  concluded  that  Vanderscamp  was  at  his  old 
game,  and  that  this  mysterious  merchandise  was  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  piratical  plunder.  The  more  charitable  opinion, 
however,  was,  that  Vanderscamp  and  his  comrades,  having  been 
driven  from  their  old  line  of  business,  by  the  "oppressions  of 
government,"  had  resorted  to  smuggling  to  make  both  ends 
meet.    .    .  . 

It  happened  late  one  night,  that  Yan  Yost  Vanderscamp  was 
returning  across  the  broad  bay,  in  his  light  skiff,  rowed  by  his 
man  Pluto.  He  had  been  carousing  on  board  of  a  vessel,  newly 
arrived,  and  was  somewhat  obfuscated  in  intellect,  by  the  liquid 
he  had  imbibed.  It  was  a  still,  sultry  night;  a  heavy  mass  of 
lurid  clouds  was  rising  in  the  west,  with  the  low  muttering  of 
distant  thunder.  Vanderscamp  called  on  Pluto  to  pull  lustily, 
that  they  might  get  home  before  the  gathering  storm.  The  old 
negro  made  no  reply,  but  shaped  his  course  so  as  to  skirt  the 
rocky  shores  of  Gibbet  Island.  A  faint  creaking  overhead 
caused  Vanderscamp  to  cast  up  his  eyes,  when,  to  his  horror,  he 
beheld  the  bodies  of  his  three  pot  companions  and  brothers  in 
iniquity,  dangling  in  the  moonlight,  their  rags  fluttering,  and 
their  chains  creaking,  as  they  were  slowly  swung  backward  and 
forward  by  the  rising  breeze. 

"What  do  you  mean,  you  blockhead,"  cried  Vanderscamp, 
'  'by  pulling  so  close  to  the  island? " 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


71 


"  I  thought  you 'd  be  glad  to  see  your  old  friends  once  more,  " 
growled  the  negro ;  ' '  you  were  never  afraid  of  a  living  man,  what 
do  you  fear  from  the  dead? " 

"Who 's  afraid?"  hiccupped  Vanderscamp,  partly  heated  by 
liquor,  partly  nettled  by  the  jeer  of  the  negro;  "who 's  afraid? 
Hang  me,  but  I  would  be  glad  to  see  them  once  more,  alive  or 
dead,  at  the  Wild  Goose.  Come,  my  lads  in  the  wind,"  con- 
tinued he,  taking  a  draught,  and  flourishing  the  bottle  above  his 
head,  "  here 's  fair  weather  to  you  in  the  other  world;  and  if  you 
should  be  walking  the  rounds  to-night,  odds  fish,  but  I  '11  be 
happy  if  you  will  drop  in  to  supper." 

The  storm  burst  over  the  voyagers,  while  they  were  yet  far 
from  shore.  The  rain  fell  in  torrents,  the  thunder  crashed  and 
pealed,  and  the  lightning  kept  up  an  incessant  blaze.  It  was 
stark  midnight  before  they  landed  at  Communipaw. 

Dripping  and  shivering,  Vanderscamp  crawled  homeward. 
He  was  completely  sobered  by  the  storm;  the  water  soaked 
from  without  having  diluted  and  cooled  the  liquor  within.  Ar- 
rived at  the  Wild  Goose,  he  knocked  timidly  and  dubiously  at 
the  door,  for  he  dreaded  the  reception  he  was  to  experience  from 
his  wife.  He  had  reason  to  do  so.  She  met  him  at  the  threshold, 
in  a  precious  ill-humour. 

"Is  this  a  time,"  said  she,  "to  keep  people  out  of  their  beds, 
and  to  bring  home  company,  to  turn  the  house  upside  down?" 

"Company?"  said  Vanderscamp  meekly,  "I  have  brought  no 
company  with  me,  wife." 

"No,  indeed!  they  have  got  here  before  you,  but  by  your  in- 
vitation; and  a  blessed  looking  company  they  are,  truly." 

Vanderscamp's  knees  smote  together.  "For  the  love  of 
Heaven,  where  are  they,  wife?" 

"Where? — why  in  the  blue  room,  up  stairs,  making  themselves 
as  much  at  home  as  if  the  house  were  their  own.' ' 

Vanderscamp  made  a  desperate  effort,  scrambled  up  to  the 
room,  and  threw  open  the  door.  Sure  enough,  there  at  a  table  on 
which  burned  a  light  as  blue  as  brimstone,  sat  the  three  guests 
from  Gibbet  Island,  with  halters  round  their  necks,  and  bobbing 
their  cups  together,  as  if  they  were  hobnobbing,  and  trolling  the 
old  Dutch  freebooter's  glee,  since  translated  into  English; 


72 


The  Hudson  River 


For  three  merry  kids  be  we, 

And  three  merry  lads  be  we; 

I  on  the  land,  and  thou  on  the  sand, 

And  Jaek  on  the  gallows  tree. 

Vanderscamp  saw  and  heard  no  more.  Starting  back  with 
horror,  he  missed  his  footing  on  the  landing-place,  and  fell  from 
the  top  of  the  stairs  to  the  bottom.  He  was  taken  up  speechless, 
and  either  from  the  fall  or  the  fright,  he  was  buried  in  the  yard  of 
the  Httle  Dutch  Church  at  Bergen,  on  the  following  Sunday. 

To  an  earlier  generation  Jersey  City  was  known  as 
Pauliis,  Powles,  or  Pauws  Hook.  It  was  important  as 
the  western  end  of  the  Paulus  Hook  Ferry,  that  was 
one  of  the  chief  means  of  communication  between  New 
Jersey  and  Manhattan  Island.  The  Cortlandt  Street 
Ferry  still  crosses  the  same  water,  but  the  multitude 
that  it  transports  each  day  would  populate  a  good- 
sized  city;  the  several  railroads  making  this  their  ter- 
minal station  forming  one  of  the  principal  arteries  of 
New  York  life. 

In  the  days  of  the  Revolution  Paulus  Hook  was  con- 
sidered an  important  strategic  point,  and  was  gar- 
risoned by  the  British  from  1776  till  1779,  when  Major 
0  Henry  Lee,  who  had  a  share  in  the  famous  Cow  Chase 
of  Andre's  epic  strain,"  fell  upon  it  with  his  veterans. 
There  was  a  sudden  night  attack,  a  garrison  surprised 
and  defeated,  and  in  the  early  dawn  a  number  of  British 
dead  in  the  fort  and  the  .\merican  flag  flying  over  it. 

Between  Jersey  City  and  Hoboken  there  used  to  be 
a  marsh  or  bay,  not  now  in  evidence.  Hobock  was  an 
Indian  village,  which  appears  in  at  least  one  Dutch 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


73 


record,  already  cited,  as  Hoboquin.  Almost  its  first 
appearance  in  history  is  as  the  scene  of  murders  and 
massacres,  of  arson  and  pillage.  But  the  atrocity  was 
not  all  upon  the  side  of  the  Indians.  In  1643,  after  a 
long  feud,  marked  by  excesses  on  both  sides,  a  body  of 
the  Dutch,  reinforced  by  Mohawk  Indians,  crossed  the 


A  FLEET  THRONGED  THE  RIVER 
{From  a?t  old prinf) 


river  at  night  and  murdered  a  hundred  men,  women, 
and  children  at  the  promontory  called  Castle  Point. 
There  is  no  record  that  suggests  any  palliation  for  this 
crime,  which  is  probably  the  blackest  one  that  stains 
the  annals  of  New  Netherland. 

Hoboken  should  be  celebrated  wherever  steam  navi- 
gation has  helped  to  solve  the  problem  of  travel.  Here 
it  was  that  John  Stevens  lived ;  indeed  at  one  time  the 


74 


The  Hudson  River 


Stevens  family  owned  nearly  all  of  the  land  in  that 
neighbourhood,  and  founded  the  city  of  Hoboken  in 
1804.  John  Stevens  —  Colonel  Stevens  —  built  the 
steamship  Phccnix,  the  first  vessel  depending  entirely 
upon  steam  propulsion  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  The  first 
steamer  that  crossed  the  ocean  was  the  Savannah, 
built  at  Corlear's  Hook,  New  York  City;  but  she  relied 
partly  upon  sail  power. 

A  century  ago  the  woods  of  Weehawken  were  the 
scene  of  one  of  the  most  significant  and  famous  private 
encounters  that  have  ever  been  recorded.  Not  only 
did  the  participants  hold  exalted  positions  in  the  poli- 
tical and  social  world,  but  at  least  one  of  them  had 
connected  his  name  indissolubly  with  the  history  of  his 
cotmtry  and  the  record  of  her  progress. 

At  the  time  of  the  celebrated  Burr-Hamilton  duel  the 
former  had  just  been  defeated  in  his  candidacy  for 
the  governorship  of  New  York.  As  a  consequence  of 
the  intense  political  excitement,  both  parties  indulged 
more  or  less  in  acrimonious  speeches. 

General  Alexander  Hamilton  was  the  reputed  author 
of  statements  derogatory  to  the  character  of  his  oppo- 
nent. The  matter  was  taken  up  and  made  much  of  by 
some  of  Hamilton's  enemies,  and  finally  led  to  the 
writing  of  a  letter  by  Burr,  as  follows : 

New  York,  June  18,  1804. 

Sir: — 

I  send  for  your  perusal  a  letter  signed  Charles  D.  Cooper, 
which,  though  apparently  published  some  time  ago,  has  but  very 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


75 


recently  come  to  my  knowledge.  Mr.  Van  Ness,  who  does  me 
the  favour  to  deliver  this,  will  point  out  to  you  that  clause  of  the 
letter  to  which  I  particularly  request  your  attention. 

You  must  perceive,  sir,  the  necessity  of  a  prompt  and  un- 
qualified acknowledgment  or  denial  of  the  use  of  any  expression 
which  would  warrant  the  assertion  of  Dr.  Cooper. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Your  obedient  servant, 

A.  Burr. 

Gen.  Hamilton. 

To  this  peremptory  communication  General  Hamil- 
ton replied  at  some  length  on  June  20th,  saying  in  sub- 
stance that  he  considered  the  charge  too  vague  to  ad- 
mit of  either  denial  or  acknowledgment. 

"  I  have  become  convinced,"  he  wrote,  that  I  could 
not,  without  manifest  impropriety,  make  the  avowal 
or  disavowal  which  you  seem  to  think  necessary." 
There  follows  a  somewhat  pedantic  examination  of  the 
grammatical  distinction  between  the  terms  "despicable" 
and  "  more  despicable"  used  in  Dr.  Cooper's  letter,  and 
concludes  in  the  following  words: 

I  deem  it  inadmissible  on  principle,  to  consent  to  be  interro- 
gated as  to  the  justness  of  the  inferences  which  may  be  drawn  by 
others  from  whatever  I  have  said  of  a  political  opponent  in  the 
course  of  a  fifteen  years'  competition. 

I  stand  ready  to  avow  or  disavow  promptly  and  explicitly  any 
precise  or  definite  opinion  which  I  may  be  charged  with  having 
declared  of  any  gentleman.  ^lore  than  this  cannot  fitly  be  ex- 
pected of  me. 

I  trust,  on  more  reflection,  that  you  will  see  the  matter  in  the 
same  light  with  me.  If  not  I  can  only  regret  the  circumstance 
and  must  abide  the  consequences.  The  publication  of  Dr. 
Cooper  was  never  seen  by  me  till  after  the  receipt  of  your  letter. 


76 


The  Hudson  River 


Burr  found  neither  sineerity  nor  deUeaey  "  in  Ham- 
ilton's letter.  He  ]xirtieularly  objeeted  to  the  eharge 
being  treated  "as  a  matter  of  syntax,"  and  again  in- 
sisted upon  a  definite  avowal  or  denial  of  Dr.  Cooper's 
statements.  It  was  not  until  the  receij^t  of  this  letter 
that  Hamilton  saw  his  friend,  Mr.  Pendleton,  and 
plaeed  the  eorrespondence  before  him.  He  told  Pen- 
dleton that  he  considered  the  letter  from  Burr  rude  and 
offensive,  and  that  he  had  expressed  that  opinion  to 
Van  Ness. 

The  latter  gentleman  was  a  strong  partisan,  a  warm 
personal  friend  of  Burr's  and  a  bitter  political  enemy 
of  Hamilton's.  His  antipathies  were  pronounced,  and 
his  language  would  be  considered  in  this  day  of  greater 
restraint  as  intemperate.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
his  inclination,  if  not  his  efforts,  was  adverse  to  a 
peaceful  solution  of  the  difficulty. 

The  correspondence  culminated,  as  might  naturally 
be  expected,  in  a  challenge  delivered  by  Mr.  Van  Ness 
in  behalf  of  his  principal  in  the  affair. 

From  the  Life  of  Aaron  Burr,  by  Samuel  Lorenze 
Knapp,  published  in  1835,  we  may  quote  a  brief  ac- 
count. The  particulars  of  what  then  took  place  will 
appear  from  the  following  statement,  as  agreed  upon 
and  corrected  by  the  seconds  of  the  parties: 

Colonel  Burr  arrived  first  on  the  ground,  as  had  been  pre- 
viously agreed.  When  General  Hamilton  arrived,  the  parties 
exchanged  salutations  and  the  seconds  proceeded  to  make  their 
arrangements.    They  measured  the  distance,  ten  full  paces,  and 


On  the  Jersey  Shore  77 


cast  lots  for  the  choice  of  positions,  as  also  to  determine  by  whom 
the  word  should  be  given,  both  of  which  fell  upon  the  second  of 
General  Hamilton  (Mr.  Pendleton).  The  gentleman  who  was  to 
give  the  word  then  explained  to  the  parties  the  rules  which  were 
to  govern  them  in  firing,  which  were  as  follows :  The  parties  being 
placed  at  their  stations,  shall  present  and  fire  when  they  please. 
If  one  fire  before  the  other  the  opposite  second  shall  say,  one,  two, 
three,  fire  or  lose  his  fire.  He  then  asked  if  they  were  prepared. 
Being  answered  in  the  affirmative  he  gave  the  word  present,  as 
had  been  agreed  on,  and  both  parties  presented  and  fired  in 
succession.  The  intervening  time  is  not  expressed,  as  the  sec- 
onds do  not  precisely  agree  on  that  point.  The  fire  of  Colonel 
Burr  took  effect  and  General  Hamilton  almost  instantly  fell. 
Colonel  Burr  then  advanced  towards  General  Hamilton  with  a 
manner  and  gesture  that  appeared  to  General  Hamilton's  friends 
expressive  of  regret,  but,  without  speaking,  turned  about  and 
withdrew,  being  urged  from  the  field  by  his  friend,  as  has  been 
subsequently  stated,  with  a  view  to  prevent  his  being  recognised 
by  the  surgeon  and  bargemen  who  were  then  approaching.  No 
further  communication  took  place  between  the  principals  and 
the  barge  that  carried  Colonel  Burr  immediately  returned  to  the 
City.  We  conceive  it  proper  to  add  that  the  conduct  of  the 
parties  in  this  interview  was  perfectly  proper,  as  suited  the  occa- 
sion. 

After  a  short  time  spent  at  his  own  house  in  New 
York  Burr  travelled  south,  and  was  met  by  crowds  of 
enthusiastic  adherents,  who  made  his  journey  almost  a 
royal  progress.  But  far  different  was  the  feeling  in  the 
North,  where  the  friends  of  Hamilton  predominated. 
In  New  York  Colonel  Burr  was  execrated  as  a  mur- 
derer, the  encounter  having  resulted  fatally  for  Hamil- 
ton, and  the  grand  jury  indicted  the  victor.  But  the 
case  was  never  brought  to  trial.  At  the  following  ses- 
sion of  Congress,  Burr  calmly  took  his  place  as  the 


78 


The  Hudson  River 


presiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  delivering  at  the  eon- 
elusion  a  speeeh  long  remembered  for  its  eloquence. 
The  subsequent  trial  of  Aaron  Burr  for  conspiracy 
against  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
intrigue  that  led  up  to  it,  while  of  extraordinary  in- 
terest to  the  student  of  American  history,  has  no  place 
in  the  present  volume. 

A  monument  erected  to  mark  the  spot  of  the  duel 
was  almost  entirely  chipped  away  by  relic  hunters, 
and  finally  removed  to  make  room  for  the  road  that 
now  runs  directly  over  its  site.  This  was  near  the  edge 
of  the  river,  below  the  cliffs.  There  is  now  upon  a 
more  elevated  situation  a  monument  surmounted  by 
a  bust  of  Hamilton,  and  enclosed  by  a  railing  to  pre- 
serve it  from  the  destructive  attentions  of  sightseers. 

Weehawken  has  other  and  pleasanter  associations. 
Not  far  to  the  south  was  the  pleasure  ground  know^n 
as  the  Elysian  Fields,  where  for  a  while  fashion — not 
then  as  fastidious  as  afterwards — found  a  delightful 
retreat. 

There,  on  a  warm  summer  afternoon  [wrote  Lossing],  or  on  a 
moonlit  evening,  might  be  seen  scores  of  both  sexes  strolhng  upon 
the  soft  grass,  or  sitting  upon  the  green  sward,  recalHng  to  mem- 
ory many  beautiful  sketches  of  life  in  the  earlier  periods  of  the 
world,  given  in  the  volumes  of  the  old  poets. 

Castle  Point,  the  promontory  from  which  the  Dutch 
drove  the  Indians  mercilessly  into  the  river,  w^as  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  Elysian  F'ields,  and  underneath  it 
there  used  to  be  a  grotto  called  the  Sibyl's  Cave,  which 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


79 


contained  a  spring  of  clear  water  that  was  in  great  re- 
pute. 

But  there  was  a  mysterious  tragedy  connected  with 
the  Elysian  Fields,  and  the  gifted  pen  of  Edgar  Allan 
Poe  has  given  it  lasting  celebrity.  Briefly  the  stor}^ 
may  be  epitomised 
here.  Mary  Rog- 
ers w^as  a  beautiful  k  - 
girl  employed  by  a 
well-known  tobac- 
co dealer  in  Xew 
York.  Her  admir- 
ers were  many, 
so  that  the  store 
where  she  worked 
became  a  popular 
resort  for  the 
young  men  of  the 
town.  Suddenly 
she  disappeared, 
and  after  a  while 
it  began  to  be  whis- 
pered that  she  had 
been  foully  dealt 
with.  The  news- 
papers took  up  the 

matter,  and  the  fate  of  Mary  Rogers  became  the  lead- 
ing topic  of  the  day.  Clue  after  clue  was  followed, 
and  all  led  to  the  conclusion  that  a  murder  had  been 


THE  SYBILS  CAVE,  HOBOKEN 


8o 


The  Hudson  River 


committed,  and  that  the  scene  of  the  atrocity  was  the 
Elysian  Fields.  But  there  the  poHce  and  the  papers 
alike  stopped,  baffled.  Then  Poe,  changing  the  scene 
from  the  Hudson  to  the  Seine,  and  hiding  the  name  of 
Mary  Rogers  under  a  transparent  French  equivalent, 
wrote  one  of  his  most  marvellous  tales,  the  Mystery  of 
Marie  Roget.  One  by  one  he  took  up  the  clues;  with 
an  astuteness  that  seemed  almost  inspired  he  worked 
out  the  history  of  the  murder.  Every  one  at  that  day 
read  the  story,  and  to  the  popular  mind  the  Mystery 
of  Marie  Roget  fully  elucidated  the  grewsome  fate  of 
Mary  Rogers.  There  was  a  story  current,  impossible 
now  to  verify,  that  fifteen  or  twenty  years  afterwards,  a 
sailor,  dying  in  a  hospital,  confessed  to  the  murder, 
giving  details  which  substantially  agreed  with  Poe's 
narrative. 

All  the  river  front  has  changed,  almost  beyond  recog- 
nition. A  large  part  of  it  at  Weehawken  is  taken  up 
with  coal  and  oil  depots  and  the  West  Shore  terminals. 
A  trolley  line  connects  with  the  Forty-second  Street 
Ferry  and  carries  the  passengers  to  the  top  of  the  bluff 
and  beyond.  But  there  are  still,  between  this  point 
and  Fort  Lee,  unoccupied  and  wooded  acres  lying  back 
of  the  shore  along  the  heights  that  are  still  among  the 
finest  points  of  view  in  the  neighbourhood  of  New  York. 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  Fitz-Greene  Halleck 
wrote,  in  praise  of  this  locality: 

Weehawken !    In  thy  mountain  scenery  yet 
All  we  adore  of  nature  in  her  wild 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


8i 


And  frolic  hour  of  infancy,  is  met; 
And  never  has  a  summer's  morning  smiled 
Upon  a  lovelier  scene,  than  the  full  eye 
Of  the  enthusiast  revels  in,  when  high 

Amid  thy  forest  solitudes,  he  climbs 
O'er  crags,  that  proudly  tower  above  the  deep, 
And  knows  the  sense  of  danger  which  sublimes 
The  breathless  moment — when  his  daring  step 
Is  on  the  verge  of  the  cliff,  and  he  can  hear 
The  low  dash  of  the  wave  with  startled  ear. 

In  such  an  hour  he  turns,  and  on  his  view. 
Ocean  and  earth  and  heaven  burst  before  him, 
Clouds  slumbering  at  his  feet  and  the  clear  blue 
Of  summer's  sky  in  beauty  bending  o'er  him — 
The  city  bright  below:  and  far  away. 
Sparkling  in  golden  light,  his  own  romantic  bay. 

Stevens,  as  elsewhere  noted,  built  and  operated  the 
first  steam  ferryboats  that  were  ever  used,  and  they 
ran  between  Manhattan  Island  and  Hoboken. 

One  cannot  realise  the  primitive  Hoboken  of  that 
day  in  the  place  of  many^  wharves,  w^here  the  ocean 
liners  lie  at  their  piers,  or  move  majestically  out  into 
the  stream.  Among  the  principal  steamers  that  make 
a  landing  at  Hoboken  are  those  of  the  North  German 
Lloyd,  Hamburg,  and  Wilson  lines.  The  river  front  is 
uninviting — a  region  of  coal-sheds,  of  depots,  and 
elaborate  complications  of  rails. 

Between  Hoboken  and  Fort  Lee  are  the  points  that 
Benson  J.  Lossing  described  as  ''the  little  villages  of 
Pleasant  Valley,  Bull's  Ferry,  and  Weehawk."  Bull's 
Ferrv,  now  Shady  side,  is  distant  from  Fort  Lee  about 

6 


82 


The  Hudson  River 


three  niiles.  It  was  for  many  years  a  favourite  resort 
for  working-men  from  New  York,  and  ])ictures  made 
along  that  shore  thirty  years  ago  show  an  inviting  pros- 
pee  t  of  green  slopes  and  wooded  eliffs.  At  present 
the  favourite  objeetive  point  of  the  erowds  that  eross 
the  river  to  eseape  the  rigours  of  a  "  dry  Sunday ' '  in  the 
metropolis  are  the  groves  and  publie  houses  of  Fort 
Lee. 

But  Shadyside  may  elaim  a  more  romantie  eelebrity. 
There  was  in  1 780  a  bloekhouse  near  the  ferry,  and  for  a 
time  it  was  garrisoned  by  a  British  pieket,  whose  duty 
it  was  to  proteet  the  loyalists  of  the  neighbourhood.  A 
number  of  eattle  and  horses  belonging  to  Americans 
had  strayed  on  to  Bergen's  Neek,  and  offered  a  tempt- 
ing bait  for  Tory  marauders  from  Paulus  Hook. 

From  his  headquarters  near  the  Ramapo  Hills, 
Washington  dispatehed  Wayne — ''Mad  Anthony,"  as 
his  contemporaries  sometimes  called  him — to  attack 
the  blockhouse  and  drive  away  the  British  garrison, 
and  also  to  secure  the  cattle  for  their  owners.  Light- 
Horse  Harry  Lee  was  dispatched  on  the  latter  mission, 
while  Wayne  made  the  attack  upon  the  blockhouse  with 
three  Pennsylvania  companies  and  four  light  pieces  of 
cannon.  But  the  attack  w^as  unavailing,  the  post  prov- 
ing too  strong  for  the  artillery  of  the  besiegers,  and  the 
Americans  were  repulsed  with  a  loss  of  sixty  men. 

General  Wayne  succeeded  in  destroying  some  boats 
and  capturing  a  number  of  cattle,  with  wliich  he  re- 
turned to  the  American  lines. 


On  the  Jersey  Shore 


85 


This  affair  might  have  been  forgotten  as  one  of  the 
minor  incidents  of  the  war,  without  any  particular 
significance  or  relation  to  other  events,  had  not  one  of 
the  accomplished  young  officers  in  his  Majesty's  serv- 
ice conceived  the  idea  of  making  it  the  subject  of  a 
ballad.  The  officer  was  the  ill-fated  Major  Andre, 
whose  name  is  for  ever  associated  with  the  attempt  of 
Arnold  to  betray  West  Point  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  In  his  ballad,  which  he  called  the  Cow  Chase, 
Andre  gave  free  rein  to  his  satirical  humour.  As  the 
poem  contains  seventy-one  stanzas,  the  reader  will 
excuse  its  full  insertion  in  this  place.  But  here  is  a 
sample  of  it : 

All  in  a  cloud  of  dust  were  seen 

The  sheep,  the  horse,  the  goat. 
The  gentle  heifer,  ass  obscene. 

The  yearling  and  the  shoate. 

And  packhorses  with  fowls  came  by 

Befeathered  on  each  side. 
Like  Pegasus,  the  horse  that  I 

And  other  poets  ride. 

Sublime  upon  his  stirrups  rose 

The  mighty  Lee  behind 
And  drove  the  terror  smitten  cows 

Like  chaff  before  the  wind. 

And  so  on,  ad  infinitum.  It  is  not  always  clean  nor 
abounding  in  good  taste,  nor  even  clever,  except  with 
a  variety  of  wit  that  suggests  the  barrack  room  and 
the  stables,  but  it  contained  one  remarkable  verse, 
that  had  a  touch  of  prophecy  in  it.     The  verses  were 


86 


The  Hudson  River 


published  in  Rivingtons  Gazette,  the  last  one  being 
as  follows: 

And  now  I 've  closed  my  epic  strain 

I  tremble  as  I  show  it, 
Lest  this  same  warrior-drover,  Wayne, 

Should  ever  catch  the  poet. 

On  the  day  that  that  appeared  in  print  Major  Andre 
was  arrested  as  a  spy,  and  the  commander  of  the  guard 
that  accompanied  him  to  the  scaffold  was  General 
Wayne. 


Chapter  VII 


Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley 
HE  original  patentees  of  the  lands  along  the 


1.  have  been  a  ctirious  compromise  between 
primitive  frontier  conditions  and  feudal  dignity.  Pa- 
troons  and  Manor  Lords  ruled  over  uncounted  acres  of 
wilderness,  upon  which  a  sparse  and  widely  scattered 
tenantry  cleared  land,  raised  corn  and  large  families, 
and  took  daily  chances  of  Indian  massacre. 

To  the  reply  made  by  Secretary  Van  Tienhoven  to  a 
remonstrance  of  the  colonists,  in  1650,  we  are  indebted 
for  light  upon  the  relations  between  the  patentees  and 
their  tenants. 

'T  is  moreover,  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Patroon  of  the 
Colonic  Rensselaerwyk  causes  all  his  tenants  to  sign,  that  they 
will  not  appeal  to  the  Manhattans,  in  direct  contravention  of 
the  exceptions,  by  which  the  colonists  are  bound  to  render  to  the 
director  and  council  at  the  Manhattans  an  annual  report  both  of 
the  colony  and  the  administration  of  Justice.  .  .  .  'T  would 
be  a  very  strange  thing  if  the  officers  of  the  country  could  not 
banish  anybody  from  it,  whilst  the  authorities  of  the  Colonic 
Rensselaerwyk,  who  are  subordinate  to  the  company,  absolutely 
banish  whomsoever  they  please,  for  the  welfare  of  the  Colonic: 


Hudson  lived  at  first  in  a  way  that  seems  to 


87 


88 


The  Hudson  River 


and  they  do  not  allow  any  person  to  reside  there  except  at  their 
pleasure  and  upon  certain  conditions. 

The  colonists  of  lower  degree  held  their  land  only 
vq)on  a  rent  lease,  beaver  pelts  being  accepted  instead 
of  money,  which  was  a  very  scarce  commodity.  So 
little  money  was  there  in  the  country,  indeed,  that  a 
short  time  previous  to  the  writing  of  the  report  just 
cited,  a  law  had  been  passed  which  legalised  the  use  of 
the  Indian  currency — wampum. 

The  title  of  Patroon  conveys  to  most  modern  minds 
an  idea  of  somewhat  exalted  rank.  We  are  accustomed 
to  point  to  those  colonial  princelings  as  though  they 
had  brought  to  the  New  World  the  inestimable  advan- 
tages of  blue  blood  along  with  the  favour  of  the  sover- 
eign Lords  of  Holland.  But  history  shows  that  land 
patents  were  never  supposed  to  imply  either  birth, 
breeding,  or  previous  rank  of  any  kind  on  the  part  of 
the  recipient.  Patroonships,  like  houses,  lands,  ships, 
or  peltries,  were  in  the  market  to  be  purchased  for 
money.  Exactly  the  requirements  insisted  upon  by 
the  company  may  be  learned  from  the  following  ex- 
cerpt from  a  bill  of  ''Freedoms  and  Exemptions," 
granted  by  the  West  India  Company  in  1640: 

All  good  inhabitants  of  the  Netherlands  and  all  others  in- 
clined to  plant  any  Colonies  in  New  Netherland  shall  be  at  liberty 
to  send  three  or  four  persons  in  the  Company's  ships  going 
thither,  to  examine  the  circumstances  there,  on  condition  that 
they  swear  to  the  articles,  as  well  as  the  officers  and  seamen,  as 
far  as  they  relate  to  them,  and  pay  for  board  and  passage  out  and 
home,  to  wit,  those  who  eat  in  the  master's  cabin,  fifteen  stivers 


Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley  89 


per  day,  and  those  who  go  and  eat  in  the  orlop,  shall  have  their 
board  and  passage  gratis,  and  in  case  of  an  attack,  offensive  or 
defensive,  they  shall  be  obliged  to  lend  a  hand  with  the  others, 
on  condition  of  receiving,  should  any  of  the  enemy's  ships  be 
overcome,  their  share  of  the  booty  pro  rata,  each  according  to 
his  quality,  to  wit:  the  Colonists  eating  out  of  the  Cabin  shall  be 
rated  with  the  seamen,  and  those  eating  in  the  cabin  with  the 
Company's  servants  who  board  there  and  have  the  lowest  rate  of 
pay. 

In  the  selection  of  lands,  those  who  shall  have  first  notified 
and  presented  themselves  to  the  Company,  whether  Patroons  or 
private  Colonists,  shall  be  preferred  to  others  who  may  follow. 

In  case  any  one  be  deceived  in  selecting  ground,  or  should 
the  place  by  him  chosen  afterwards  not  please  him,  he  will,  upon 
previous  representation  to  the  Governor  and  Council  then  be  at 
liberty  to  select  another  situation. 

For  Patroons  and  Feudatories  of  New  Netherland,  shall  be 
acknowledged  all  such  as  shall  ship  hence,  and  plant  there  a 
Colonic  of  fifty  souls,  above  fifteen  years  of  age,  within  the  space 
of  three  years  after  having  made  a  declaration  and  given  notice 
thereof,  to  some  Chamber  of  the  Company  here  or  to  the  Gover- 
nor or  Council  there;  namely,  one-third  part  within  the  year, 
and  so  forth,  from  year  to  year,  until  the  number  be  completed, 
on  pain  of  losing,  through  notorious  neglect,  the  obtained  Free- 
doms and  cattle.  But  they  shall  be  warned  that  the  Company 
reserves  the  Island  Manhattes  to  itself. 

All  Patroons  and  Feudatories  shall,  on  requesting  it,  be 
granted  Venia  Testandi,  or  the  power  to  dispose  of,  or  bequeath, 
his  fief  by  Will. 

For  Masters  or  Colonists,  shall  be  acknowledged,  those  who 
will  remove  to  New  Netherland  with  five  souls  above  fifteen 
years;  to  all  such,  our  Governor  there  shall  grant  in  property 
one  hundred  morgens,  Rhineland  measure,  of  land,  contiguous 
one  to  the  other,  wherever  they  please  to  select. 

And  the  Patroons,  of  themselves  or  by  their  agents,  at  the 
places  where  they  will  plant  their  Colonies,  shall  have  the  privi- 
lege to  extend  the  latter  one  mile  (consisting  of,  or  estimated  at, 
1600  Rhineland  perches)  along  the  coast,  bay  or  a  navigable 


90 


The  Hudson  River 


river,  and  two  contiguous  miles  landward  in;  it  being  well  under- 
stood, that  no  two  Patroonships  shall  be  selected  on  both  sides  of 
a  river  or  bay,  right  opposite  to  each  other;  and  that  the  Com- 
pany retains  to  itself  the  property  of  the  lands  lying  between  the 
limits  of  the  Colonies,  to  dispose  thereof  hereafter  according  to 
its  pleasure;  and  that  the  Patroons  and  Colonists  shall  be  obliged 
to  give  each  other  an  outlet  and  issue,  (uytteweeghen  ende 
uyttewateren)  at  the  nearest  place  and  at  the  smallest  expense ; 
and  in  case  of  disagreement,  it  shall  be  settled  in  the  presence  and 
by  the  decision  of  the  Governor  for  the  time  being. 

The  Patroons  shall  forever  possess  all  the  lands  situate  within 
their  limits,  together  with  the  produce,  superficies,  minerals, 
rivers  and  fountains  thereof,  with  high,  low  and  middle  jurisdic- 
tion, hunting,  fishing,  fowling  and  milling,  the  lands  remaining 
allodial,  but  the  jurisdiction  as  of  a  perpetual  hereditary  fief, 
devolvable  by  death  as  well  to  females  as  to  males,  and  fealty 
and  homage  for  which  is  to  be  rendered  to  the  Company,  on  each 
of  such  occasions,  w4th  a  pair  of  iron  gauntlets,  redeemable  by 
tw^enty  guilders  within  a  year  and  six  weeks,  at  the  Assembly  of 
the  XIX.,  here,  or  before  the  Governor  there;  with  this  under- 
standing, that  in  case  of  division  of  said  fief  or  jurisdiction,  be  it 
high,  middle  or  low,  the  parts  shall  be  and  remain  of  the  same 
nature  as  was  originally  conferred  on  the  whole,  and  fealty  and 
homage  must  be  rendered  for  each  part  thereof  l)y  a  pair  of  iron 
gauntlets,  redeemable  by  twenty  guilders,  as  aforesaid. 

There  is  in  the  provisions  of  this  act  a  survival  of 
customs  fostered  under  a  mediaeval  feudatory  system, 
— customs  that  seem  strangely  out  of  place  in  the  new 
land.    Another  clause  provides  that: 

Should  any  Patroon,  in  course  of  time,  happen  to  prosper  in 
his  Colonic  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be  able  to  found  one  or  more 
towns,  he  shall  have  authority  to  appoint  officers  and  magis- 
trates there,  and  make  use  of  the  title  of  his  Colonic,  according 
to  the  pleasure  and  the  quality  of  the  persons,  all  saving  the  Com- 
pany's regalia. 

A  further  explanation  of  the  terms  upon  which 


Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley  91 


Patroons  and  their  colonists  lived  together  is  furnished 
in  a  report  of  the  Committee  of  the  States-General: 

Whereas  it  is  found  that  greater  pains  have  generally  been 
taken  to  promote  the  fur  trade  than  the  agriculture  and  popula- 
tion of  the  country,  the  supreme  court  there,  shall,  in  conse- 
quence, above  all  things,  provide  that  cattle  be  not  exported, 
but  be  as  much  as  possible  retained  and  reared  there :  also  that  a 
good  quantity  of  grain  be  kept  in  store  to  be  furnished  and  sold 
at  a  reasonable  price  to  newly  arrived  immegrants,  who  are  to  be 
assisted  and  favoured  in  every  manner,  and  be  located  on  good 
lands,  suitable  for  cultivation,  taking  care  therein  that  they  shall 
dwell  as  close  and  as  compact  together  as  possible  on  such  lands 
and  places  as  shall  be  considered  best  and  most  suitable  for 
homestead,  bouwerie,  plantation  and  security:  the  Patroons  of 
Colonies  remaining  at  liberty  to  improve  their  own  lands  as  they 
think  proper,  they  being  also  obliged  to  settle  the  colonists  in  the 
form  of  villages. 

The  lower  Philipse  patent,  in  1779,  embraced  a  large 
part  of  Westchester  County,  though  Philipse  was  not 
a  Patroon.  North  of  his  extensive  territory,  more 
particularly  defined  in  another  chapter,  lay  the  manor 
of  Cortlandt,  reaching  as  far  as  Anthony's  Nose.  On 
the  north  of  Van  Cortlandt  Philipse  again  appears ;  the 
Highland  Patent,  as  it  was  called,  taking  in  nearly  all 
of  Putnam  County  and  reaching  to  Fishkill  creek. 
Rondout  came  next,  including  the  land  between  Fish- 
kill  and  Wappinger's  creek.  The  Schuylers  ruled 
where  Poughkeepsie  now  is,  and  Falconer's  purchase 
lay  to  the  north.  Above  Falconer's  was  the  Henry 
Beekman  tract,  that  had  Esopus  as  its  northern  bound- 
ary, and  above  that  the  Schuyler  name  again  appears. 


92 


The  Hudson  River 


The  manor  of  Livingston,  from  Rhinebeck /to  Catskill 
Station,  ki\'  next  to  Rensselaerwyk,  that  reached  as 
far  as  Troy. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  nearly  all  of  the  land  chosen 
by  the  earliest  colonists  was  upon  the  east  bank  of 
the  river,  where  the  alluring  valleys  and  rolling  hills 
afforded  a  chance  for  husbandry,  while  the  more  for- 
bidding cliffs  and  headlands  of  the  western  shore  re- 
mained for  the  most  part  unsettled,  except  at  a  few 
favourable  points.  But  above  the  Highlands  the 
physical  conditions  of  the  shores  commence  gradually 
to  change,  and  the  narrowing  stream  affords  a  less 
formidable  line  of  division.  The  Van  Rensselaer  pat- 
ent was  the  first  to  cover  both  sides  of  the  Hudson. 

The  question  is  often  raised  whether  the  men  who 
colonised  the  Hudson  shores  were  to  any  extent  edu- 
cated or  cultivated  persons.  Curiosity  on  such  a  point 
is  natural,  considering  how  man}^  of  the  families  now 
socially  prominent  in  New  York  trace  descent  from 
them. 

Let  us  in  the  first  place  remember  that  the  scholarly 
men  and  those  whose  lives  are  passed  amidst  luxurious 
surroundings  seldom  make  colonists.  To  strike  into 
the  wilderness  for  anything  more  than  a  dash  of  ad- 
venture usually  indicates  that  one  has  more  to  gain 
than  to  lose,  and  that  his  habit  is  active  rather  than 
contemplative.  If  noble  families  are  represented  in 
any  colony,  it  is  apt  to  be  through  their  needy  cadets, 
and  they  will  usually  be  found  in  company  with  those 


Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley  95 

who  possess  the  advantage  of  energy  and  are  un- 
hampered by  the  obligations  of  pedigree. 

Oloffe  Stevanson  Van  Cortlandt  was  in  the  military 
service  of  Holland,  and  became  afterwards  commissary 
of  cargoes  for  the  West  India  Company.  His  descent 
is  said  to  be  from  a  noble  Russian  family.  vSubsequently 
to  his  employment  by  the  company,  which  occupied 
ten  years,  he  amassed  a  fortune  as  a  brewer.  He  mar- 
ried a  wealthy  wife,  and  became,  by  purchase,  the 
proprietor  of  the  Van  Cortlandt  Manor  on  the  river. 

Van  Cortlandt  s  neighbour,  Philipse,  began  life  (ac- 
cording to  Chief-Justice  John  Jay)  as  a  carpenter. 
The  experts  in  heraldry  have  also  accommodated  him 
with  noble  ancestors — this  time  of  Bohemian  blood. 
By  shrewdness  and  energy  he  won  a  fortune,  and  be- 
came not  only  one  of  the  most  influential,  but  also  the 
wealthiest  man  in  the  colony. 

These  able  men  were  sufficiently  distinguished  by 
their  own  remarkable  qualities,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
comprehend  the  persistent  effort  to  decorate  them  with 
superfluous  pedigrees.  The  Schuylers  appear  to  have 
been  of  gentle  blood,  and  Robert  Livingston,  the 
father  of  all  the  Livingstons,  was  the  son  of  the  Rev. 
John  Livingston,  a  Scotch  dissenting  minister,  who 
was  banished  to  Holland  for  contumacy  in  1663.  The 
remainder  of  the  colonists,  from  Patroons  to  tenants, 
seem  to  have  been  of  that  race  that  has  always  fur- 
nished the  best  colonisers  in  the  world,  and  they  have 
left  a  record  of  pluck  and  persistence  that  is  part  of  the 


96 


The  Iliulson  Ri\cr 


hcrita^L^c  of  the  country  they  settled  and  of  the  national 
character  they  helped  to  mould. 

The  lirst  of  the  Van  Rensselaers  was  a  man  of 
prominence  and  wealth  in  Holland,  but  he  was  not  a 
resident  upon  his  American  estate. 

The  later  comers,  of  whom  Livingston  was  a  shining 
example,  were  three  quarters  of  a  century  behind  the 
first,  and  enjoyed  their  manorial  rights  under  new 
patents  or  confirmations  of  old  ones,  granted  by  the 
English  Crown.  We  find  Charles  II.  in  the  year  1660 
appointing  a  "  Councill  of  Forraigne  Plantacions"  with 
power  to  investigate  all  questions  of  government  or 
trade  relating  to  the  colonies,  and  to  recommend 
measures  beneficial  to  all  parties,  but  particularly  to 
the  Crown.  Four  years  afterwards  Stuyvesant  sur- 
rendered New  Amsterdam  to  the  commander  of  the 
British  fleet. 

For  the  enlightenment  of  his  masters,  the  States- 
General,  and  incidentally  for  the  instruction  of  pos- 
terity, the  careful  Secretary  Van  Tienhoven  in  1650 
wrote  a  report  that  contained  a  section  relating  to  the 
conveyance  of  farmers  and  handicraftsmen,  the  charges 
and  responsibilities  for  which  were  assumed  by  the 
Patroon  or  land  patentee. 

A  large  flyboat  of  200  lasts,  which  would  be  chartered  for 
the  voyage  out  for  fl.  6000. 

A  vessel  of  200  lasts  would  probably  carry  over  250  persons 
exclusive  of  the  ships  crew:  they  would  re(|uire  for  food,  for  the 
voyage  at  least  30  guilders,  fl.  7500. 

Every  250  farmers  would  require  a  superintendant. 


Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley  97 


A  clergyman,  or  in  his  place  provisionally,  a  comforter  of  the 
sick,  who  could  also  act  as  schoolmaster. 
A  surgeon,  provided  with  medicines. 

A  blacksmith  who  is  conversent  with  the  treatment  of  horses 
and  cattle. 

Three  or  four  house  carpenters  who  can  lay  brick. 
One  cooper. 
One  wheelwright. 

Other  tradesmen  such  as  tailors  and  shoemakers,  follow  with 
time. 

A  necessary  supply  of  the  munitions  of  war,  for  the  de-  ^ 
fence  of  the  Colonists,  in  case  of  misunderstanding  with  the 
natives. 


In  a  colony  the  necessary  stock  for  beginning  was 
provided  to  each  tenant  by  the  landlord.  This  stock- 
ing included  one  pair  of  draught  cattle,  two  cows,  and 
one  or  two  sows.  "  If  in  the  course  of  time,  with  God's 
blessing,  the  stock  multiply,  the  bouweries  can  be  fully 
stocked  with  necessary  cattle,  and  new  bouweries  set 
off  with  the  remainder,  as  is  the  practice  in  Rensselaer's 
Colonic  and  other  places,  and  so  on,  de  novo,  so  as  to 
lay  out  no  money  for  stock. 

The  houses  used  at  first  by  those  who  settled  the  new 

lands  were  rude  affairs,  often  consisting  of  nothing 

more  than  a  pit,  dug  cellar  fashion,  encased,  and  floored 

with  timber,  and  roofed  with  spars  covered  with  bark 

and  sod.    Not  only  did  the  poorer  settlers  use  such 

homes,  we  are  informed,  but  even  the  "wealthy  and 

principal  men"  commenced  to  live  in  that  fashion, 

doing  so  for  the  twofold  reason  that  they  might  lose  no 

time  from  the  planting  and  cultivation  of  necessary 
7 


98 


The  Hudson  River 


crops,  and  thiit  the  ])Oorer  colonists  might  be  encouraged 
by  their  example. 

More  substantial  dwellings  followed  those  first  prim- 
itive makeshifts  that  at  the  most  could  not  be  expected 
to  last  above  four  or  five  years. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  troubles  — 
or,  as  Van  Tienhoven  calls  them,  "misunderstandings" 
— with  Indian  neighbours.  Particular  instances  of 
such  unfortunate  encounters  have  their  place  in  the 
narratives  of  individual  settlements,  and  will  be  touched 
upon  more  fully  in  other  chapters  of  this  book. 

It  is  suggestive  of  recent  South  African  history  that 
the  tenant  farmers  were  referred  to  in  some  of  the  old 
documents  as  boors  or  boers.  To  us  of  to-day  the 
name  is  associated  with  sweltering  velts  and  beleaguered 
kopps  and  laagers  of  waggons  bristling  with  guns. 
Perhaps  the  best  way  for  us  to  comprehend  the  Boer 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  with  his  energy,  pluck, 
thrift,  and  courage,  is  by  studying  his  kinsman  of  the 
nineteenth  and  twentieth  centuries,  to  whose  uncon- 
querable obstinacy  the  attention  of  the  world  has  for 
several  years  been  directed.  Instead  of  a  Transvaal 
farm,  substitute  a  Hudson  River  bouwerie.  Let  the 
colonist  trek  with  family  and  household  goods  and 
gods  to  the  pleasant,  well- watered  lands  of  Schuyler  or 
Van  Rensselaer.  He  carries  a  match-lock  gun,  heavy 
as  a  weaver's  beam,  easy  to  handle  as  a  small  cannon, 
and  taking  probably  not  more  than  five  minutes  to 
load  and  fire.    His  garments  are  of  a  quaint  cut,  and 


Early  Settlers  of  the  Hudson  Valley  99 

he  has  a  cherubic  breadth  of  feature,  if  we  are  to  trust 
the  painters.  He  is  unlettered,  practical,  not  too  nice 
in  manners  and  far  from  fanciful  regarding  either  this 
life  or  the  next.  He  has  accepted  Calvinism,  but  does 
not  allow  it  to  disturb  him;  wherein  he  differs  essen- 
tially from  his  New  England  neighbour,  who  wears  his 
creed  as  an  ascetic  would  wear  a  hair  shirt,  to  the 
discomfort  of  himself  and  the  annoyance  of  his  neigh- 
bours. 

The  Hudson  River  Boer  worked  out  his  salvation 
with  infinite  difficulty  and  toil,  though  fear  and  trem- 
bling were  foreign  to  his  disposition.  He  hewed  his 
home  out  of  the  wilderness,  endured  hardship  with  as 
little  complaint  as  any  colonist  in  the  world  has  ever 
made,  and  he  has  furnished  the  backbone  and  sinew  of 
many  a  hardy  fight.  His  blood,  "transmitted  free," 
has  reddened  many  a  battle-field  and  consecrated  many 
a  victory. 

Is  the  Boer  capable  of  self -development,  of  high 
achievement,  of  ultimate  success?  It  may  be  that  the 
answer  lies  in  the  history  of  the  men  who  settled  the 
valley  of  the  Hudson. 


Chapter  VIII 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings 

IF  one  who  knew  the  Hudson  in  his  youth  should 
return  after  half  a  century  of  absence,  possibly 
the  change  which  would  strike  him  most  forcibly 
would  be  in  the  character  of  the  shipping. 

Turning  his  eyes  away  from  the  tall  buildings,  he 
would  expect  to  discover  in  the  river  itself  some  realisa- 
tion of  old  memories;  but  in  spite  of  familiar  shore 
lines  and  well-known  contours,  the  aspect  of  the 
stream  would  be  strange  and  new. 

He  would  perhaps  be  bewildered,  while  he  could  not 
fail  to  be  impressed,  by  the  spectacular  display  of 
steam  craft  of  every  description,  from  the  smallest 
launch  that  darts  shoreward  from  the  side  of  some 
trim  yacht  or  imposing  war  vessel,  to  the  ocean  liners 
that  move  majestically  from  their  piers  and  succeed  in 
preserving  an  imposing  dignity  of  demeanour  in  spite  of 
the  hustling,  bustling,  rowdy  tugs  to  whose  escort 
they  have  been  committed.  The  ubiquitous  tug  is 
the  irreclaimable  tough  of  rivers  and  harbours;  a 
swaggering,  swearing,  cock-sure  ruffian,  who  respects 
neither  age  nor  rank.    It  will  tackle  an  Olympia  with 

lOO 


lOI 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings  103 


as  little  ceremony  as  it  would  take  hold  of  a  Yucatan 
tramp  or  a  Duluth  whaleback,  and  would  swing  out  an 
ocean  greyhound  with  a  sang  froid  that  smacks  of  lese 
majeste. 

The  tugboat  acts  upon  the  assumption  that  he  has 
an  unexpired  lease  upon  all  rivers,  and  to  avoid  ''en- 
tangling alliances,"  other  boats  by  common  consent 
give  him  the  widest  possible  berth.  We  say  "he"  ad- 
visedly. All  vessels  are  feminine  except  this  cockerel 
of  the  brackish  waters. 

The  ferryboats — floating  towns  that  hurl  themselves 
from  side  to  side  of  the  river,  transporting  populations 
— are  the  wonderful  progeny  of  the  little  steam  ferry- 
boat that  Col.  John  Stevens  set  afloat  between  New 
York  and  Hoboken  in  181 1. 

Now  the  huge  arks  pass  and  repass,  some  to  the  point 
most  nearly  opposite,  others  crossing  their  course  dia- 
gonally, bound  for  a  distant  slip,  and  all  engaged  in 
what  would  seem  to  be  a  leviathan  performance  of  Sir 
Roger  de  Coverley. 

The  freighters  find  their  way  among  the  throng, 
some  light  and  riding  high,  with  the  rusty  red  of  their 
under  hulls  dropping  sanguinary  reflections  on  the 
waves;  others  ploughing  deep.  They  carry  a  sordid, 
toil-worn  air,  as  if  to  impress  one  with  the  fact  that 
they  have  been  buffeted  by  strange  seas  and  moored 
beside  unclean  wharves  under  the  equator. 

Among  them  all  is  a  barkentine,  working  her  way 
through  the  press.    One  look  is  enough  to  identify  her. 


I04 


The  Hudson  River 


The  long  wooden  stoek  of  the  anehor  that  is  eatted  at 
her  bow  proclaims  that  she  is  from  Nova  Seotia  or 
some  of  its  English  neighbours.  By  her  course  she  is 
probably  bound  to  Rockland  Lake  for  ice. 

Beyond  an  overdecked  river  side-wheeler  that  sends 
a  tidal  wave  to  port  and  starboard  as  she  goes,  and  sets 
all  the  river  rocking,  there  is  the  trim,  black  hull  of  a 
foreign  man-of-war  at  anchor.  She  has  just  arrived, 
and  her  spars  for  the  present  seem  to  be  converted 
to  laundry  uses.  A  little  farther  upstream  some 
private  yachts  glitter  with  clean  paint  and  resplendent 
brass. 

Everywhere  there  is  life,  motion,  the  expression  of 
strength, — but  where  is  the  picture  that  memory  re- 
calls of  the  old  Hudson?  Here  is  power,  but  at  the 
expense  of  the  romance,  the  poetry,  may  we  say  the 
beauty  and  grace  of  an  earlier  day. 

What  naval  spectacle  or  pageant  can  compare  w^ith 
the  flight  of  the  white  wings  that  once  were  spread 
through  all  the  sunlit  reaches  of  the  river,  enchanted 
argosies  that  bore  about  them,  if  not  the  scent  of  san- 
dal wood  and  musky  odour  of  spice  islands,  at  least  an 
undefined  suggestion  of  remote  wharves  and  unex- 
plored hamlets  ? 

From  Burnet's  Key  and  the  old  Albany  Wharf  and 
the  market  dock  and  fifty  points  and  piers  along  the 
river  shore  the}^  put  out  with  whatever  wind  Provi- 
dence might  send,  be  it  favourable  or  unfavourable, 
for  far-off  villages  along  the  Tappan  Zee  and  Haver- 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings  105 


straw  Bay,  and  even  beyond  the  Highlands  as  far  as 
the  navigable  water  flowed. 

The  names  of  the  old  Hudson  River  captains  of  sail- 
ing craft  are  not  all  forgotten.  Many  an  old  resident 
will  recall  Thomas  Brown,  Charles  and  Isaac  Depew, 
the  Requas,  the  Lyons,  James  B.  and  John  L.  Travis, 
Vermilye,  Storm,  Conkling,  Farrington,  and  others. 

Harvey  P.  Farrington  is,  at  the  time  of  this  writing,  a 
hale  octogenarian,  who  graduated  from  a  schooner  into 
the  steamboat  ranks,  from  captain  became  owner,  and 
is  now,  at  a  time  of  life  when  most  men  willingly  retire 
from  active  business,  to  be  found  every  day  during 
business  hours  at  one  of  the  prominent  city  banks,  of 
which  he  is  a  director. 

Samuel  Requa, — ''Captain  Sam," — who  with  his 
father  used  to  own  and  run  sailing  vessels,  and  who 
afterwards  took  to  steamboating,  is  now  an  honoured 
and  substantial  citizen  of  Tarry  town. 

''Commodore"  Vanderbilt  once  sailed  a  boat  regu- 
larly between  New  York  and  Peekskill. 

Before  the  days  of  the  railroad,  and  even  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  after  that  destroyer  of  pristine  conditions 
had  been  established,  there  was  hardly  a  village  on  the 
Hudson  that  did  not  own  a  fleet  of  from  five  or  six  to 
fifty  or  sixty  sail.  Even  now  nearly  half  of  the  old 
men  in  many  a  town  along  shore  answer  to  the  title  of 
captain,  the  explanation  in  each  case  being  that  "  He 
used  to  follow  the  river."  Even  the  phrase  has  an  old- 
time  sound.    Once  it  was  an  acknowledged  and  even 


io6 


The  Hudson  River 


a  proud  profession  to  "follow  the  river."  He  who 
made  the  best  runs  and  carried  the  biggest  freights 
without  loss  of  either  deckload  or  time  was  counted  a 
man  among  his  fellow-men. 

There  are  a  few  of  them  left, — grizzled,  keen-eyed, 
hard-fisted,  broad  shouldered, — a  race  by  themselves, 
unhappily  passing  away, — the  men  who  followed  the 
river.  They  were  in  many  cases  the  sons  and  grand- 
sons of  sires  who  had  browned  in  the  sun  and  wind  and 
shed  the  blood  from  their  cracked  fingers  on  the  frozen 
sails  and  sheets  of  their  craft  long  before  Fort  Wash- 
ington had  a  name  or  Newburgh  was  anything  more 
than  a  place  that  shipped  excellent  butter. 

They  carried  peltries  and  flour  from  Rensselaerwyk 
and  Esopus,  and  ran  the  dreaded  gauntlet  of  the  High- 
lands, saying  their  prayers  in  Dutch  when  the  awful 
shadow  of  the  phantom  ship  crossed  their  bows  in  the 
moonlight  under  Point  no  Point.  From  generation  to 
generation  they  transmitted  the  legends  and  the  secrets 
of  boatcraf t  that  no  mere  landsman  can  ever  know  and 
— never  one  among  them  all  had  the  wit  or  the  skill  to 
put  pen  to  paper  and  set  it  down  for  our  delectation 
and  his  own  enduring  fame. 

In  ancient  days  it  became  necessary  at  times  to  re- 
strain the  adventurous  skippers  by  legislative  act,  or 
by  an  order  of  the  New  Amsterdam  Court,  which 
amounted  to  the  same  thing.  In  one  of  the  old  docu- 
ments which  throw  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  early  man- 
ners and  customs  we  read  that: 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings  107 


Whereas  divers  Skippers  and  Sloop  captains  have  requested 
leave  to  sail  to  Esopus  and  Willemstadt  with  their  vessels, 
whereby  this  city  would  be  almost  wholly  stripped  of  craft,  and 
the  citizens  greatly  weakened,  to  prevent  which  those  of  the 
Court  of  this  city  are  ordered  to  summon  all  skippers  and  sloop 
captains  of  this  city  before  them,  and  to  instruct  them  that  no 
more  than  two  sloops  shall  go  at  one  time,  by  lot  or  rotation,  to 
Willemstadt  and  Esopus  and  one  sloop  to  the  South  river;  nor 
shall  they  take  any  passengers  with  them  from  here  without  a 
pass;  for  such  is  found  necessary  for  the  better  security  of  this 
city.    Done  Fort  Willem  Hendrick,  as  above. 

Fort  Willem  Hendrick  was  the  name  by  which  the 
Dutch  called  their  stronghold  on  Manhattan  after  its 
recapture  from  the  English.  In  a  year,  as  we  have  seen, 
the  Government  was  again  in  English  hands,  but 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  lack  of  honest  apprecia- 
tion of  the  solid  Dutch  qualities  of  thrift  and  industry 
on  the  part  of  their  new  rulers. 

Between  the  Dutch  and  English  navigators  there 
was  almost  ceaseless  trouble  arising  from  the  rival 
claims  to  the  river  and  the  jealousy  of  those  who 
figured  prospective  honours  and  patroonships  as  the 
result  of  Indian  trade. 

An  amusing  record  of  a  Dutch  attempt  to  put  a  stop 
to  English  trading  is  given  in  the  following  words: 

7  November  1633.  Jacob  Jacobson  Elkins,  of  Amsterdam 
merchant,  aged  about  42  yeares,  sworn  before  William  Merricke, 
doctor  of  lawes,  surrogate  to  the  righte  worth  Sir  Henry  Marten, 
Knight  judge  of  his  Majesties  highe  court  off  the  Admiralltye. 

To  the  first  interreye,  hee  sayeth,  that  within  the  time  in- 
terrogate William  Colbery,  David  Moregead,  and  John  de  la 
Barr,  of  London  Merchants,  att  their  owne  proper  costs  and 


io8 


rhc  Hiulson  Ri\cr 


chardgcs  did  freightc.  victuall  and  sett  forth  the  interrogate 
sliippe,  the  WilHam  of  London  (whereof  WilHam  Trevorre  was 
master)  antl  did  hide  dix'erse  goodes  abord  licr,  with  intent,  that 
she  sould  goe  to  Ilutsons  river  in  New  Engkmd,  within  the 
dominions  of  the  Kingh  of  England,  to  trade  and  trucke  away 
such  goods,  as  she  carryed  to  the  natives  of  those  countries,  for 
beaver  skinnes  and  other  skinnes  and  furrs;  the  premisses  hee 
knoweth  to  bee  true,  for  that  he  was  factor  for  the  said  mer- 
cliants  in  that  voyage. 

To  the  second  hee  sayeth,  that  the  said  shippe,  the  WilHam 
arrived  att  the  forte,  called  IManhatton,  also  Amsterdam,  in  the 
said  Hutsons  river,  uppon  the  twelvth  daye  of  Aprill,  last  past; 
and  sayeth,  that  the  entrance  of  the  said  river  is  in  the  latitude 
of  fourtie  degrees  and  a  halfe  or  thereaboutes,  and  in  longitude 
aboud  one  and  fortie  degrees  and  a  halfe.  And  after  theire  ar- 
rivall  neere  that  forte,  this  deponente  sente  the  Chirurgeon  of 
the  said  shippe  on  shoare  to  the  said  forte,  to  intreate  the  Gover- 
nor to  come  abord  the  said  shippe  the  William.  Where  uppon 
the  said  Governor  bad  the  chirurgeon  to  comannde  the  master 
of  the  said  shippe;  and  this  axiadate  beinge  the  factor  to  come 
on  shoare  to  the  fort,  where  the  said  Governor  and  others  were 
sittinge  in  counsell  together.  And  the  said  Governor  demanded 
his  deponente,  wherefore  hee  was  come  thither,  and  what  his 
business  was.  And  this  deponente  replyed:  to  trade  with  the 
natives  there,  as  hee  had  formerly  done,  for  beaver  and  otter 
skinnes,  and  other  skinnes  and  furrs.  And  then  the  said  Gover- 
nor asked  him  for  his  commission,  whereunto  this  deponente 
answered,  that  he  was  not  bound  to  shewe  it,  for  that  he  was  then 
within  the  King  of  Englands  dominions,  and  for  that  he  was  a 
servante  to  the  subjectes  of  the  said  kinge;  and  desired  of  them 
to  see  what  Commission  they  had,  to  plante  there,  within  the 
King  of  Englands  dominions.  And  he  tould  the  said  Governor, 
if  he  would  not  give  him  his  good  will  soe  to  doe,  hee  would  goe 
upp  the  said  river  without  it,  although  it  cost  him  his  life. 
Whereuppon  the  Governor  commannded  all  the  companye  of  the 
said  shippe  to  come  on  shoare.  And  in  the  presence  of  them  all, 
the  said  Governor  commannded,  that  the  Prince  of  Orange  his 
flagge  should  bee  putt  upp  in  the  forte,  and  three  peeces  of 


I 


11 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings       1 1 1 


ordnance  to  bee  shott  off  for  the  honor  of  the  said  Prince.  And 
then  this  deponente  commanded  the  gunner  of  the  said  shippe 
the  WiUiam,  to  goe  abord  and  putt  upp  the  engUshe  fiagge,  and 
to  shoote  of  three  peeces  of  ordnance  for  the  honor  of  the  King 
of  England.  And  then  the  said  Governor  badd  this  deponente, 
take  heede,  that  it  did  not  cost  him  his  necke,  or  his  (:  the  said 
Governors).  And  after  the  premisses  this  deponente  and  the 
companye  of  the  WilHam  wente  upp  the  said  river  to  trade,  and 
comminge  neere  the  forte,  called  Orange,  the  Governor  of  that 
forte  would  not  suffer  theire  shallopp  to  come  to  the  shoare,  to 
trade  there.  Whereuppon  this  deponente  wente  a  mile  belowe 
that  forte,  and  there  sett  upp  a  tent,  and  carried  all  theire  goodes 
on  shoare,  and  was  in  trade  with  the  Salvages.  And  the  Dutch 
sett  up  a  tent  by  the  said  englishe  tent,  to  hinder  theire  trade 
as  much  as  they  could.  And  then  there  came  souldiers  from 
both  the  said  dutch  forts  with  musketts,  halfe  pikes,  swords  and 
other  weapons,  and  beat  some  Indians,  which  came  to  trade  with 
this  deponente,  and  commannded  this  exaidate  and  companye  to 
departe  from  thence,  sayinge  that  that  land  was  theirs,  they 
havinge  boughte  it  of  the  Salvages.  And  then  the  Dutch  pulled 
downe  the  tente  of  the  Englishe,  and  sente  theire  goodes  abord, 
some  in  a  shalloppe,  belonginge  to  the  William,  and  some  in  a 
boate,  belonginge  to  the  Dutch;  and  then  the  Dutch  weighed  the 
anchors  of  the  William,  and  carrying  them  abord  her.  And 
afterwardes  the  said  shippe  goinge  downe  the  said  river  againe 
when  she  came  to  Manhatton  forte,  this  deponente  beinge  there 
on  shoare.  The  Governor  commannded  him  to  sende  all  the 
beaver  and  other  skinnes  on  shoare  to  the  fort,  which  this  de- 
ponente and  companye  had  gott  in  trucke  with  the  salvages; 
which  this  deponente  refusinge  to  doe,  the  Governor  then  de- 
manded a  particular  of  all  the  skinnes  that  were  abord  the  said 
shippe. 

The  principal  Towns  within  this  Government  [wrote  Gover- 
nor Dongan  to  the  home  government],  are  New  York  and 
Albany  and  Kingston  at  Esopus.  All  the  rest  are  country 
villages,  the  Buildings  in  New  York  and  Albany  are  generally 
of  Stone  and  brick.  In  the  country  the  houses  are  mostly 
new  built,  having  two  or  three  rooms  on  a  floor.    The  Dutch  are 


1  I  2 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


i^rcat  i))ipro:'crs  oj  laud.  \c\v  \'()rk  and  Albany  li\'c  wholly 
upon  trade  with  the  Indians,  England  and  West  Indies.  The 
returns  for  England  are  generally  Beaver  Peltry,  Oile  and 
Tobacco  when  we  can  ha\'e  it.  To  the  West  Indies  wee  send 
Flower,  Bread,  Pease  Pork  and  sometimes  Horses:  the  return 
from  thence  for  the  most  part  is  Rumm,  which  pays  the  king 
a  considerable  Excise,  and  some  Molasses  which  serves  the 
people  to  make  drink  and  pays  noe  custom. 

There  are  about  nine  or  ten  three  Mast  Vessels  of  about 
eighty  or  a  Hundred  tons  burthen,  two  or  three  ketches  and  Barks 
of  about  forty  Tun ;  and  about  twenty  Sloops  of  about  twenty 
or  five  and  twenty  Tun  belonging  to  the  Government — All  of 
which  Trade  for  England  Holland  and  the  West  Indies,  except 
five  or  six  sloops  that  use  the  river  Trade  to  Albany  and  that 
way. 

In  1694  there  belonged  to  the  city  of  New  Amster- 
dam sixty  ships,  twenty-five  sloops,  and  forty  boats. 
Bnt  neither  then  nor  at  any  time  in  its  history  did  the 
number  of  sail  owned  on  the  island  begin  to  indicate 
the  extent  of  its  river  trade,  or  the  size  of  the  fleet  at 
its  wharves. 

Through  two  centuries  the  river  traffic  under  sail  in- 
creased, with  few  setbacks.  Of  course  the  War  for 
Independence  interfered  for  a  while  with  trade  and 
travel,  but  they  were  resumed  as  soon  as  the  country 
was  once  more  at  peace.  Almost  the  last  to  disappear 
when  steam  superseded  sail  propulsion  were  the  boats 
that  carried  the  least  perishable  kinds  of  farm  produce. 
But  now,  except  for  an  occasional  Haverstraw  brick 
schooner,  or  a  pleasure  boat  from  Nyack  or  Piermont, 
there  is  hardly  a  sail  to  be  seen  on  a  summer  day  from 
Paulus  Hook  to  Croton. 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings  113 


Yes,  we  acknowledge  the  progress,  the  utility,  the 
convenience;  but  the  picture  of  another  Hudson, 
radiant  in  the  noontide,  like  a  plain  of  burnished  silver 
between  its  purple  hills,  is  present  to  the  mind's  eye. 
It  is  sparkling  with  sails,  white  and  glistening  as  pearls 
upon  a  baldric.    A  hundred  are  in  sight,  and  a  hundred 


PALISADES  FROM  THE  YELLOW  ROCKS,   TAPPAN  ZEE 
{From  a  drawing  by  the  author) 

and  a  hundred  more  stretch  in  endless  procession  to 
the  shallows  of  the  upper  river.  They  feed  the  imagi- 
nation and  satisfy  the  sense  of  beauty  as  the  mechanical 
inventions  of  the  marine  steamfitter  can  never  do. 

In  the  name  of  sentiment  we  deplore  the  passing  of 
the  white  wings. 

It  is  said  that  the  old  rivermen  measured  the  river 

8 


114 


The  I  Iiulson  Ri\  cr 


by  "reaches,"  countini^:  fourteen  of  these  l^etween  Xew 
York  and  the  head  of  naxd^^^ation.  The  In-st  extended 
|)ast  the  long  wall  of  the  Palisades,  the  "Great  Chip 
rock"  of  the  old  deeds.  The  second  reach  included 
the  'ra])])an  Zee,  and  took  the  voyager  as  far  as  Haver- 
straw,  which  gave  name  to  the  third.  Beyond  the 
Haverstraw  was  Seylmaker's  Reach,  then  Hoge's,  next 
Vorsen,  which  included  the  hazardous  passage  of  the 
Highlands.  After  that  was  Fisher's  Reach,  to  Esopus, 
and  Claverack  next,  with  Bacerack,  Playsier,  Vaste, 
and  Hunters  succeeding  each  other  as  far  as  Kinder- 
hook. 

In  an  earlier — shall  we  say  simpler? —  time,  the  lines 
of  social  demarkation  w^ere  more  closely  draw^n  than 
even  at  the  present  day,  and  the  divinity  that  hedged 
the  matrons  and  maidens  of  the  upper  class  frequently 
stipulated  for  private  conveyance.  In  one  instance 
(that  came  to  the  wTiter  at  first  hand,  by  personal 
narration)  a  careful  father,  living  at  Hudson,  had  his 
vessel  repainted  and  renovated  throughout,  that  his 
daughter  might  visit  New  York  in  a  style  befitting  her 
social  station.  The  voyage  took  nearly  a  w^eek,  and 
was  remembered  as  one  of  the  experiences  of  life  for 
threescore  years  and  ten. 

Among  the  narratives  of  river  travel  a  hundred  years 
ago,  none  has  been  preserved  that  gives  a  more  graphic 
or  delightful  picture  of  old  scenes  and  customs  than 
that  contained  in  one  of  Washington  Irving 's  letters. 
He  is  referring  to  a  voyage  made  in  1800. 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings  115 


My  first  voyage  up  the  Hudson  was  made  in  early  boyhood, 
in  the  good  old  times  before  steamboats  and  railroads  had  anni- 
hilated time  and  space,  and  driven  all  poetry  and  romance  out 
of  travel.  A  voyage  to  Albany  then,  was  equal  to  a  voyage  to 
Europe  at  present,  and  took  almost  as  much  time.  We  enjoyed 
the  beauties  of  the  river  in  those  days;  the  features  of  nature 
were  not  all  jumbled  together,  nor  the  towns  and  villages  huddled 
one  into  the  other  by  railroad  speed  as  they  are  now, 

I  was  to  make  the  voyage  under  the  protection  of  a  relative 
of  mature  age ;  one  experienced  in  the  river.  His  first  care  was 
to  look  out  for  a  favorite  sloop  and  captain,  in  which  there  was 
great  choice. 

The  constant  voyaging  in  the  river  craft  by  the  best  families 
of  New  York  and  Albany,  made  the  merits  of  captains  and  sloops 
matters  of  notoriety  and  discussion  in  both  cities.  The  captains 
were  mediums  of  communication  between  separated  friends  and 
families.  On  the  arrival  of  one  of  them  at  either  place  he  had 
messages  to  deliver  and  commissions  to  execute  which  took  him 
from  house  to  house.  Some  of  the  ladies  of  the  family  had, 
perad venture,  made  a  voyage  on  board  of  his  sloop,  and  ex- 
perienced from  him  that  protecting  care  which  is  always  remem- 
bered with  gratitude  by  female  passengers.  In  this  way  the 
captains  of  Albany  sloops  were  personages  of  more  note  in  the 
community  than  captains  of  European  packets  or  steamships  at 
the  present  day.  A  sloop  was  at  length  chosen ;  but  she  had  yet 
to  complete  her  freight  and  secure  a  sufficient  number  of  passen- 
gers. Days  were  consumed  in  "  drumming  up  "  a  cargo.  This 
was  a  tormenting  delay  to  me  who  was  about  to  make  my  first 
voyage,  and  who,  boy-like,  had  packed  up  my  trunk  on  the  first 
mention  of  the  expedition.  How  often  that  trunk  had  to  be  un- 
packed and  repacked  before  we  sailed! 

At  length  the  sloop  actually  got  under  way.  As  she  worked 
slowly  out  of  the  dock  into  the  stream,  there  was  a  great  ex- 
change of  last  words  between  friends  on  board  and  friends  on 
shore,  and  much  waving  of  handkerchiefs  when  the  sloop  was 
out  of  hearing. 

Our  captain  was  a  worthy  man,  native  of  Albany,  of  one  of 
the  old  Dutch  stocks.     His  crew  was  composed  of  blacks,  reared 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


in  the  family  and  bcloni^ino^  to  him;  for  negro  slavery  still 
existed  in  the  State.  All  his  eommunications  with  them  were 
in  Dutch.  The\'  were  obedient  to  his  orders,  ihoui^Hi  tlu'V  occa- 
sionally had  much  previous  discussion  of  the  wisdom  of  them, 
and  were  sometimes  positive  in  maintaining  an  opjjosite  opinion. 
This  was  especially  the  case  with  an  old  grey-headed  negro,  who 
had  sailed  with  the  captain's  father  when  the  captain  was  a  mere 
boy,  and  who  was  very  crabbed  and  conceited  on  points  of  sea- 
manship. I  observed  that  the  captain  generally  let  him  have 
his  own  way. 

What  a  time  of  intense  delight  was  that  first  sail  through 
the  Highlands.  I  sat  on  the  deck  as  we  slowly  tided  along  at  the 
foot  of  those  stern  mountains,  and  gazed  with  wonder  and  ad- 
miration at  clififs  impending  far  above  me,  crowned  with  forests, 
with  eagles  sailing  and  screaming  around  them;  or  listened  to 
the  unseen  stream  dashing  down  precipices;  or  beheld  rock,  and, 
tree,  and  cloud,  and  sky  reflected  in  the  glassy  stream  of  the 
river.  And  then  how  solemn  and  thrilling  the  scene  as  we  an- 
chored at  night  at  the  foot  of  these  mountains,  clothed  with 
overhanging  forests ;  and  everything  grew  dark  and  mysterious ; 
and  I  heard  the  plaintive  note  of  the  whip-poor-will  from  the 
mountain-side,  or  was  startled  now  and  then  by  the  sudden  leap 
and  heavy  splash  of  the  sturgeon. 

In  1840  N.  P.  Willis  wrote: 

The  passage  through  the  Highlands  at  West  Point  still  bears 
the  old  name  of  W^ey  Gat  or  Wind-gate ;  and  one  of  the  prettiest 
moving  dioramas  conceivable,  is  the  working  through  the  gorge 
of  the  myriad  sailing  craft  of  the  river.  The  sloops  which  ply 
the  Hudson,  by  the  way,  are  remarkable  for  their  picturesque 
beauty,  and  for  the  enormous  quantity  of  sail  they  carry  on  in  all 
w^eathers,  and  nothing  is  more  beautiful  than  the  little  fleets  of 
from  six  to  a  dozen,  all  scudding  or  tacking  together,  like  so 
many  white  sea  birds  on  the  wing.  Up  they  come,  with  a  dash- 
ing breeze,  under  Anthony's  Nose,  and  the  sugar  loaf,  and  giving 
the  rocky  toe  of  West  Point  a  wide  berth,  all  down  helm  and 
round  into  the  bay:  when — just  as  the  peak  of  Crow  Nest  slides 


The  Passing  of  the  White  Wings       1 1 7 

its  shadow  over  the  mainsail — slap  comes  the  wind  aback  and 
the  whole  fleet  is  in  a  flutter.  The  channel  is  narrow  and  ser- 
pentine, the  wind  baffling,  and  small  room  to  beat:  but  the  craft 
are  worked  merrily  and  well ;  and  dodging  about  as  if  to  escape 
some  invisible  imp  of  the  air  they  gain  point  after  point  till  at 
last  they  get  the  Dunderbarrck  behind  them  and  fall  once  more 
into  the  regular  current  of  the  wind. 

There  have  been  not  a  few  of  the  old  river  captains 
whose  activity  led  them  into  new  fields  when  forced 
to  abandon  the  occupation  of  their  earlier  days. 

Some  of  them  may  be  found  in  directors'  chairs  in 
transportation  companies  and  financial  institutions. 
It  took  a  large  amount  of  hard  horse  sense  to  run  a 
river  schooner  successfully  in  the  old  days  of  frequent 
crises  and  sharp  competition,  and  the  man  who  could 
cope  with  the  shippers  and  the  market  men,  keep  the 
weather  gage  of  rivals  and  more  than  hold  his  own 
with  wind  and  tide,  was  very  apt  to  be  a  valuable  man 
in  any  active  business. 

In  most  cases  it  was  the  old  schooner  and  sloop 
skippers  that  became  captains  of  steam  craft,  and 
afterwards  were  frequently  counted  among  the  mag- 
nates of  the  river. 

Many  of  the  older  river  steamboats  bear  the  names 
of  men  who  "followed  the  river,  man  and  boy"  for 
many  years,  and  were  better  known  at  most  of  the 
landing  places  than  the  Governor  of  the  State  or  the 
member  of  Assembly  from  the  district. 


Chapter  IX 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat 

ROBERT  FULTON,  whose  name  is  indissolubly 
connected  with  the  history  of  navigation  and 
no  less  intimately  associated  with  the  story 
of  the  Hudson  River,  was  born  in  America  before  the 
War  for  Independence. 

According  to  the  most  approved  precedents,  he 
showed  in  early  boyhood  a  promise  of  inventive  ability, 
in  combination  with  a  taste  for  art;  the  latter  culti- 
vated under  the  direction  of  the  noted  painter,  Benja- 
min West.  While  in  London,  engaged  in  his  chosen 
work,  he  became  interested  in  canals  and  wrote  a  trea- 
tise on  Canal  Navigation.  This  was  published,  the  au- 
thor at  the  same  time  obtaining  patents  on  a  double 
inclined  plane  designed  to  take  the  place  of  locks  in 
small  canals. 

This  work,  done  by  Fulton  while  sojourning  in  Eng- 
land, found  its  way  across  the  ocean  and  attracted  the 
attention  of  Albert  Gallatin  and  others,  who  were  the 
means  of  introducing  the  inventor  and  his  ideas  to 
the  notice  of  Congress,  which  led  to  a  fuller  exposition 
of  his  views,  prepared  at  the  request  of  that  body.  Later 

ii8 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  119 


we  find  him  advocating,  if  he  did  not  suggest,  the  Erie 
Canal  scheme,  upon  which  he  re]3orted,  as  one  of  the 
commissioners.  Among  his  various  inventions  were  a 
mill  for  sawing  marble,  a  machine  for  flax-spinning,  a 
dredging  machine,  several  types  of  canal-boats,  a  sub- 
marine torpedo,  and  a  boat  designed  to  act  in  conjunc- 
tion with  it.  The  plans  for  the  last  invention  were 
carried  out  in  France.  Fulton  actually  submerged  his 
craft  at  a  depth  of  twenty  feet,  and  stayed  under  water 
in  her  for  four  hours  and  a  half.  He  carried  a  supply  of 
air  compressed  in  a  copper  globe,  and  propelled  the 
boat  by  means  of  a  hand-engine. 

We  have  seen  that  Bushnell,  in  1776,  invented  a 
torpedo  and  submarine  boat  to  act  in  conjunction  with 
it, — contrivances  in  which  Israel  Putnam  seems  to  have 
placed  great  confidence, — but  he  never  succeeded  in 
making  them  practicable.  Fulton,  on  the  contrary, 
did  blow  up  a  A^essel  provided  for  the  purpose,  and 
demonstrated  the  destructive  value  of  his  work. 

Fulton  never  claimed  to  be  the  first  to  propose  steam 
navigation.  Experiments  in  the  same  direction  seem 
to  have  been  made  in  1690,  or  even  earlier.  The  names 
of  Blasco  de  Gary  (Spanish),  Papin,  Jonathan  Hulls, 
William  Henry,  Count  d'Auxiron,  M.  Perier,  Marquis 
de  Jouffroy,  James  Rumsey,  Nathan  Read,  John  Fitch, 
and  several  others  are  in  line  before  we  reach  that  of 
Robert  Fulton.  His  one  peculiar  title  to  pre-eminence 
was  in  the  fact  that  he  succeeded. 

Rumsey  came  very  near  to  success.    He  not  only 


I20 


The  Hudson  River 


completed  a  steamboat  that  was  capable  of  moving 
through  the  water  at  a  very  moderate  rate  of  speed, 
but  he  actually  ran  his  steamer  as  a  public  carrier  on 
the  Delaware  all  through  the  summer  of  1790.  Fitch 
sailed  a  screw  steamer  on  the  old  collect  pond  in  New 
York  before  the  Clermont  was  built;  but  both  Rumsey 
and  Fitch  died  before  their  tasks  were  accomplished. 
Then  there  were  Ormsbee,  Morey,  and  others,  busv 
with  experiments.  The  thing  was  so  evidently  in  the 
air  that  it  would  have  been  almost  a  miracle  if  a  busy 
brain  like  Fulton's  had  not  caught  the  infection. 

When  Fulton  took  up  the  problem  of  steam  navi- 
gation he  was  fortunate  in  having  as  his  coadjutor  one 
of  the  remarkable  men  of  his  time.  The  Honourable 
Robert  R.  Livingston  was  one  of  the  committee  that 
drafted  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  committee  that  framed  the  first  con- 
stitution of  New  York,  was  the  first  Chancellor  of  the 
State  and  forever  to  be  remembered  as  having  ad- 
ministered the  oath  of  office  to  the  first  President  of 
the  United  States. 

Livingston,  who  had  himself  experimented  with  steam 
navigation,  fell  in  with  Fulton  when  he  was  in  France 
as  American  Minister.  They  became  acquainted  about 
1802,  and  were  soon  mutually  engrossed  in  the  plans 
for  a  steamboat  which  was  made  under  Fulton's  im- 
mediate supervision.  In  the  following  year  the  con- 
trivance was  completed.  It  had  been  built  at  their 
joint  expense,  but  we  do  not  find  that  then  or  after- 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  121 

wards  Livingston  was  practically  engaged  in  the  ac- 
tual labour  of  invention  or  construction.  His  connection 
seems  rather  to  have  been  that  of  a  business  partner  or 
backer. 

Preparations  for  a  trial  of  their  boat  in  the  Seine 
were  interrupted  by  the  collapse  of  the  contrivance, 
which  broke  in  two  and  sunk  in  the  river.  Fulton 
succeeded,  however,  in  raising  the  wreck,  and,  having 
repaired  the  hull,  proceeded  to  demonstrate  his  theory. 
The  trial  was  pronounced  a  success  and  the  partners 
agreed  to  construct  a  larger  boat  on  the  Hudson  River. 
For  this  enterprise  Livingston  was  to  supply  the  funds. 

The  engine  was  ordered  from  Messrs.  Boulton  and 
Watt,  of  Birmingham.  It  was  built  from  specifications 
furnished  by  Fulton,  but  so  greatly  was  the  work  de- 
layed that  it  arrived  in  New  York  subsequently  to  the 
inventors'  return  in  1806. 

A  bill  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  similar  to  one 
previously  obtained  by  Livingston,  renewing  an  ex- 
clusive privilege  granted  him  before  his  departure  for 
France.  This  act  gave  the  associates  the  sole  right  to 
navigate  the  waters  of  New  York  State  by  steam  for 
twenty  years,  an  allowance  of  two  years  being  made 
for  the  completion  of  the  first  steamboat. 

The  actual  outlay  for  the  boat  exceeded  the  esti- 
mated cost,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  raise  money 
by  subscription.  Among  the  subscribers  was  Robert 
Lenox,  who,  according  to  one  account,  put  down  a 
hundred  dollars,  but  would  not  allow  his  name  to  be 


122 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


used  because  he  did  not  wish  to  have  it  connected  with 
such  a  preposterous  scheme. 

The  vessel  was  l:)uilt  at  the  shipyard  of  Charles  Brown, 
on  the  East  River,  and  not,  as  some  writers  have 
claimed,  in  the  North  Bay,  near  the  Lix'ingston  manor- 
house  of  Clermont,  at  Tivoli.  Nor  can  w^e  find  any 
warrant  for  the  tradition  that  the  plans  for  the  boat 
w-ere  made  at  Clermont,  though  very  possibly  they 
may  have  been  altered  or  perfected  there. 

Fulton's  plans  w^ere  said  to  have  been  marvels  of 
careful  detail,  and  we  know  that  the  engines  for  the 
steamboat  w^ere  ordered  in  England  before  he  had 
returned  to  America.  We  must,  therefore,  suppose 
that  the  plans  w^ere  mainly  w^orked  out  in  France, 
where  most  of  the  preliminary  experimenting  had 
been  done. 

The  steamer  was  named  the  Clermont,  in  compli- 
ment to  Livingston.  It  w^as  one  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  long,  sixteen  feet  wide,  and  four  feet  deep,  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  tons  measurement.  The  engine  had 
a  steam  cylinder  twenty-four  inches  in  diameter,  with 
a  four-foot  stroke.  The  boiler  w^as  twenty  by  seven 
by  eight  feet,  and  the  wheels  measured  fifteen  feet  in 
diameter.  This  singular  craft  carried  a  smoke-stack 
that  w^as  very  tall  in  comparison  with  the  size  of  the 
boat  and  her  paddle-wheels  w^ere  uncovered.  Alto- 
gether, she  was  something  of  a  monstrosity,  as  com- 
pared wdth  the  river  boats  of  to-da}^ 

A  contemporaneous  account  of  the  trial  trip  of  the 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  125 


Clermont,  in  the  summer  of  1807,  makes  interesting 
reading. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  surprise  and  admiration  of  all  who 
witnessed  the  experiment.  The  minds  of  the  most  incredulous 
were  changed  in  a  few  minutes.  Before  the  boat  had  made  the 
progress  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  the  greatest  unbeliever  must 
have  been  converted.  The  man  who,  while  he  looked  on  the 
expensive  machine,  thanked  his  stars  that  he  had  more  wisdom 
than  to  waste  his  money  on  such  idle  schemes,  changed  the 
expression  of  his  features  as  the  boat  moved  from  the  wharf  and 
gained  her  speed;  his  complacent  smile  gradually  stiffened  into 
an  expression  of  wonder.  The  jeers  of  the  ignorant,  who  had 
neither  sense  nor  feeling  enough  to  suppress  their  contemptuous 
ridicule  and  rude  jokes,  were  silenced  for  a  moment  by  a  vulgar 
astonishment,  which  deprived  them  of  the  power  of  utterance, 
till  the  triumph  of  genius  extorted  from  the  incredulous  multi- 
tude which  crowded  the  shores,  shouts  and  acclamations  of 
congratulation  and  applause. 

Fulton,  in  a  letter  to  the  American  Citizen,  in  sen- 
tences that  show  a  stern  repression  of  the  pride  that 
must  have  made  his  nerves  dance,  speaks  of  the  achieve- 
ment of  his  cherished  plans.  He  states,  briefly,  that 
he  has  returned  from  Albany,  and  modestly  mentions 
his  hope  that  "such  boats  may  be  rendered  of  great 
importance  to  my  country."  He  then  proceeds  to  the 
statement  of  facts  regarding  his  voyage. 

I  left  Xew  York  on  ^londay  at  one  o'clock,  and  arrived  at 
Clermont,  the  seat  of  Chancellor  Livingston,  at  one  o'clock  on 
Tuesday — time,  twenty-four  hours:  distance,  one  hundred  and 
ten  miles.  On  Wednesday,  I  departed  from  the  Chancellor's  at 
nine  in  the  morning,  and  arrived  at  Albany  at  five  in  the 
afternoon — distance,  forty  miles;  time,  eight  hours.  The  sum 
is  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  thirty-two  hours,  equal  to  near 
five  miles  an  hour. 


126 


The  Hudson  River 


On  Thursday,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  mornini^,  1  left  Albany, 
and  arrived  at  the  Chancellor's  at  six  in  the  evening:  I  started 
from  thence  at  seven,  and  arrived  at  New  York  at  four  in  the 
afternoon — time,  thirty  hours;  space  run  through,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles;  equal  to  five  miles  an  hour.  Throughout  my 
whole  way,  both  going  and  returning,  the  wind  was  ahead;  no 
advantage  could  be  derived  from  my  sails:  the  whole  has,  there- 
fore, been  performed  by  the  power  of  the  steam-engine. 
I  am  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

Robert  Fulton. 

One  frightened  spectator  of  Fulton's  experiment 
described  the  contrivance  as  "  the  Devil  in  a  sawmill ' ' — 
a  not  inapt  comparison.  The  invited  guests  who  stood 
upon  the  deck  of  the  first  of  all  successful  steamboats 
as  it  snorted  and  puffed  and  clattered  on  its  way  up  the 
river,  must  have  been  prepared  for  any  emergency. 
We  can  imagine  the  more  timorous  ardently  wishing 
themselves  on  shore  again,  and  feeling  that  they  had 
indeed  taken  their  lives  in  their  hands. 

The  use  of  fat  pine  wood  for  fuel  made  a  particularly 
impressive  spectacle  when  night  overtook  the  voyagers, 
for  the  sparks  flew  in  a  ceaseless  stream  and  warranted  the 
statement  that  It  was  a  monster,  moving  on  the  river, 
defying  wind  and  tide,  and  breathing  flames  and  smoke. ' ' 

Such  wa  s  the  progenitor  of  all  the  steam-craft  in  the 
world,  and  this  the  death-warrant  to  the  fleets  of  sails 
that  used  to  gladden  the  bosomi  of  the  Hudson.  True, 
the  execution  of  the  warrant  was  delayed  for  more  than 
half  a  century,  or  rather  was  accomplished  by  insensible 
degrees,  so  that  no  definite  date  can  be  assigned  to  it — 
but  accomplished  it  finally  is. 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  127 


When  the  saiHng  vessels  had  resigned  their  passen- 
ger service,  as  well  as  much  of  the  freight  traffic,  to  the 
new-fangled  fire-eaters  that  infested  the  river,  a  class 
of  boats  developed  that  never  had  their  like  on  earth 
before  and  probably  never  will  again.  They  came  by 
the  scores,  monopolising  the  business  until  the  advent 
of  the  railway.    They  were  built  for  speed  and  were 


"CAR  OF  NEPTUNE,"  1808 

barbaric  in  their  gorgeous  display  of  gingerbread  and 
gold.  The  taste  and  temperament — in  a  word,  the 
personality — of  the  average  American  citizen  of  ante- 
bellum times  was  made  concrete  in  the  Hudson  River 
steamboat.  It  somehow  suggested  the  man  who  might 
buy  an  onyx  mantel-piece  for  the  satisfaction  of  putting 
his  feet  on  it.  Those  great,  resplendent,  costly,  com- 
fortless, tasteless  vessels,  overloaded  with  ornament 
and  magnificently  vulgar,  were  the  pride  of  the  towns 
from  which  they  hailed,  and  each  boat  had  its  retinue 
of  eager  partisans,  always  ready  to  engage  in  a  wordy 


128 


The  Hiulson  Ri\  cr 


warfare  concerning  the  resi)ective  merits  of  their 
favourite  and  its  ri\'als. 

The  lirst  seven  steamboats  built  to  run  u])on  the 
Hudson  were  the  Clermont,  Xortli  River,  Car  of  Xep- 
ttiJie,  Hope,  Perseverance,  Paragon,  and  Richmond.  Of 
these,  one  was  completed  in  1807,  two  in  1808  and  1809, 
respectively,  three  in  181 1,  and  one  in  181 3.    At  first, 


"paragon,"  1811 

the  rates  of  fare  were  such  as  to  be  prohibitive  to  any 
but  travellers  of  means,  though  the  accommodations 
were  hardly  such  as  would  be  considered  "palatial" 
by  the  tourist  of  latter  days. 

The  advertisement  of  distances,  time,  and  charges, 
was  as  follows: 


From  Xew  York  to  Xewburg  $3.  Time  14  hours 

"        "     "  Poughkeepsie  4.        "     17  " 

*'        "        "    "  Esopus   5.        "     20  " 

"        "        "     "  Hudson   5^.      "    30  " 

"    "  Albany   7.        "    36  " 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  129 


In  an  advertisement,  published  in  1808,  the  time- 
table for  the  boat  is  supplemented  by  the  following 
caution : 

As  the  time  at  which  the  boat  may  arrive  at  the  different 
places  above  mentioned  may  vary  an  hour,  more  or  less,  accord- 
ing to  the  advantage  or  disadvantage  of  wind  and  tide,  those  who 
wish  to  come  on  board  will  see  the  necessity  of  being  on  the 
spot  an  hour  before  the  time.    Persons  wishing  to  come  on 


"  RICHMOND,"  1S13 


board  from  any  landing  other  than  these  here  specified  can 
calculate  the  time  the  boat  will  pass  and  be  ready  on  her  arrival. 
Innkeepers  or  boatmen  who  bring  passengers  on  board  or  take 
them  ashore  from  any  part  of  the  river  will  be  allowed  one 
shilling  for  each  person. 

All  passengers  other  than  those  regularly  shipped  at 
the  stated  landing-places  were  rec[uired  to  pay  at  the 
rate  of  one  dollar  for  every  twenty  miles,  and  half  a 
dollar  for  each  meal  taken  on  board.  Baggage  w^as  al- 
lowed free,  if  below  sixty  pounds  in  weight,  and  freight 
was  carried  at  the  rate  of  three  cents  a  pound. 

Some  of  the  old  river  boats  had  an  interesting  his- 
tory.   One,  called  the  New  World,  that  used  to  run 

9 


The  Hudson  River 


between  New  Ynvk  and  Albany,  was  cut  u])and  taken  to 
San  Francisco,  and,  having  been  put  together  again,  ran 
between  that  city  and  Sacramento  as  El  Capitan.  The 
Swallow  made  a  disastrous  ending  on  the  rocks  in  the 
forties,  another  found  her  final  resting-place  at  Picr- 
mont,  while  Kingston  was  for  years  a  tying-up  ])lace 
for  decrepid  hulls  that  once  throbbed  and  trembled 
under  the  stress  of  over-taxed  boilers  and  engines  in 
the  frequent  mad  races  for  su])remacy  on  the  river. 

When  Vanderbilt  s  steamer,  Westchester,  was  running 
and  trying  to  monopolise  business  (in  1832)  an  associa- 
tion was  formed  to  build  and  run  a  rival  boat  in  the 
interest  of  farmers  and  shippers.  Subscribers  were 
found  all  along  the  river  and  the  famous  Water  Witch 
came  into  being.  Then  commenced  a  rivalry  so  in- 
tense that  the  rate  of  fare  dropped  to  twelve-and-a- 
half  cents  from  New  York  to  Peekskill.  The  war  ended 
by  the  purchase  of  a  controlling  interest  in  the  new 
boat  by  the  "  Commodore"  and  the  restoration  of  high 
rates. 

Thomas  Stanton  built  the  Trojan  at  West  Troy,  and, 
afterwards,  several  other  steamboats,  the  two  best 
known  being  the  Armenia  and  the  Daniel  Drew,  which 
was  his  last.  The  Drew  was  chartered  to  take  the 
Prince  of  Wales  and  his  suite  to  iVlbany,  at  the  time 
that  the  Prince  (now  Edward  VI 1.)  made  his  memor- 
able visit  to  America. 

A  well-known  river  steamboat,  the  General  Jackson, 
exploded  her  boilers  on  the  trip  from  Peekskill  to  New 


I 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  133 

York.  The  accident  occurred  off  Grassy  Point  and 
resulted  in  the  death  of  several  persons.  Jacob  Van- 
derbilt,  a  brother  of  the  Commodore,  was  her  captain. 
One  of  the  noted  rivalries  of  the  time  we  are  writing  of 
occurred  between  the  steamboats  Kosciusco  and  Tele- 
graph. It  was  a  never-ending  trial  of  speed  between 
the  two  boats,  and  became  so  exciting  that  they  some- 
times omitted  to  stop  for  passengers.  On  one  occasion 
fifty  people  were  left  behind  at  Peekskill,  cherishing 
emotions  that  were  probably  unfit  for  publication. 
The  Kosciusco  was  finally  defeated  by  her  rival. 

We  ask  about  the  Reindeer, — that  exploded  and 
burned  at  Maiden  in  1852, — the  Alexis,  the  Henry  Clay; 
and  the  answer  is  a  melancholy  reminiscence.  The  case 
of  the  last-named  boat  was  one  of  the  peculiarly  dread- 
ful tragedies  that  the  history  of  steamboating  presents. 
In  1852,  this  popular  boat,  while  making  her  regular 
run  and  crowded  with  passengers,  was  discovered  to  be 
on  fire.  She  was  headed  for  the  shore  at  Riverdale  and 
ran  hard  aground  near  the  wharf.  But  while  from  the 
bow  of  the  boat  it  was  only  a  step  to  the  shore,  yet 
the  stern  floated  in  deep  water,  and  the  majority  of 
the  passengers  were  imprisoned  by  the  flames  in  that 
part  of  the  boat.  A  wild  panic  ensued.  The  helpless 
people,  without  means  of  escape  and  maddened  by  the 
intense  heat,  leaped  into  the  river  and  literally  fought 
with  each  other  in  their  eagerness  to  reach  the  shore, 
pulling  each  other,  in  many  instances,  under  the  waves, 
so  that  the  strong  went  down  with  the  weak.  The 


134 


The  Iliulson  Ri\  cr 


victims  were  numbered  by  scores,  and  for  days  the 
ri\'er  shore  was  thronged  by  the  relatives  and  friends 
of  missing  ])assengers,  trying  to  identify  the  bodies 
that  the  tide  washed  ashore.  This  disaster  had  a  sad 
pre-eminence  and  plunged  the  whole  State  in  gloom. 

A  graphic  picture  of  steamboat  travel  on  the  Hudson 
was  presented  by  the  lively  pen  of  N.  P.  Willis,  in  1840. 

With  most  persons  [he  wrote],  to  mention  the  Pahsades  is 
only  to  recall  the  confusion  of  a  steamer's  deck,  just  off  from 
the  wharf,  with  a  freight  of  seven  or  eight  hundred  souls  hoping 
to  "take  tea"  in  Albany.  The  scene  is  one  of  inextricable  con- 
fusion, and  it  is  not  till  the  twenty  miles  of  the  Palisades  are 
well  passed  that  the  bewildered  passenger  knows  rightly  whether 
his  wife,  child,  or  baggage,  whichever  may  be  his  tender  care,  is 
not  being  left  behind  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  miles  in  the  hour. 

I  have  often  flung  my  valise  into  the  corner,  and,  sure  that 
the  whole  of  my  person  and  personal  effects  was  under  way, 
watched  the  maniform  embarrassments  and  troubles  that  beset 
the  uninitiated  voyager  upon  the  Hudson.  Fifteen  minutes 
before  the  starting  of  the  boat,  there  is  not  a  passenger  aboard: 
"time  is  money,"  and  the  American,  counting  it  as  part  of  the 
expense,  determines  to  pay  only  "on  demand."  He  arrives 
on  the  narrow  pier  at  the  same  instant  with  seven  hundred  men, 
ladies,  and  children,  besides  lapdogs,  crammed  baskets,  uncut 
novels,  and  baggage  for  the  whole.  No  commissioner  in  the 
world  would  guarantee  to  get  all  this  freight  on  board  in  the 
given  time,  and  yet  it  is  done,  to  the  daily  astonishment  of  news- 
paper hawkers,  orange  women,  and  penny-a-liners  watching  for 
dreadful  accidents. 

The  plank  is  drawm  in,  the  wheels  begin  to  paw  like  foaming 
steeds  impatient  to  be  off,  the  bell  rings  as  if  it  were  letting 
down  the  steps  of  the  last  hackney-coach,  and  away  darts  the 
boat,  like  half  a  town  suddenly  slipping  off  and  taking  a  walk 
on  the  water.  The  "hands"  (who  follow  their  nomenclature 
literally,  and  have  neither  eyes  nor  bowels)  trip  up  all  the  little 
children  and  astonished  maids  in  coiling  up  the  hawser:  the 


Fulton  and  the  Hudson  River  Steamboat  137 


black  head- waiter  rings  a  hand-bell  as  if  he  were  crazy,  exhorting 
*'Them  passengers  as  has  n't  settled  to  step  to  the  Cap'n's  office 
and  settle,"  and  angry  people  who  have  lost  sight  of  their  port- 
manteaus and  selfish  people  who  will  not  get  up  to  let  the  young 
gentleman  see  if  his  penny  trumpet  is  under  them,  play  a  real- 
life  farce  better  than  Keeley  or  Liston. 

A  painted  notice  and  a  very  fat  black  woman  in  the  doorway 
inform  the  gentleman  who  has  not  seen  his  wife  since  the  boat 
started,  and  is  not  at  all  sure  that  she  is  on  board,  that  "No 
gentleman  is  permitted  to  enter  the  ladies'  cabin,"  and  spite  of 
his  dreadful  uncertainty,  he  is  obliged  to  trust  to  the  dark  Hebe 
to  find  her,  among  three  hundred  ladies,  by  description,  and 
amuses  all  the  listeners  with  his  inventory  of  her  dress  features 
and  general  appearance.  The  negress  disappears,  is  called 
twenty  ways  in  twenty  seconds,  and  an  hour  afterwards  the 
patient  husband  sees  the  faithless  messenger  pass  with  a  glass 
of  lemonade,  having  utterly  forgotten  him  and  the  lady  in  the 
black  bonnet  and  gray  eyes,  who  may  be,  for  ought  he  knows 
to  the  contrary,  wringing  her  hands  at  this  moment  on  the 
wharf  at  New  York. 

By  this  time  the  young  ladies  are  tired  of  looking  at  the  Pali- 
sades, and  have  taken  out  their  novels,  the  old  gentlemen  are 
poring  over  their  damp  newspapers,  and  the  captain  has  received 
his  fourteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  dollars,  locked  up  his 
office,  and  gone  to  smoke  with  the  black  funnel  and  the  engineer. 
The  broad  waters  of  the  Tappan  Zee  open  before  the  flying  cut- 
water ;  those  who  have  never  been  up  the  river  before  think  of 
poor  Andre  as  they  pass  Tappan  and  Tarry  town,  and  those  who 
love  gentle  worth  and  true  genius  begin  to  look  out  for  Sleepy 
Hollow  and  the  house  of  Washington  Irving.  It  is  a  quiet  little 
spot,  buried  in  trees  and  marked  with  an  old  Dutch  vane. 
May  his  latter  days,  when  they  shall  come,  find  there  the  rever- 
ence and  repose  which  are  his  due! 

Still  the  old  order  changes.  As  the  white  wings  made 
way  before  the  steamboat  of  Fulton's  time  and  that  in 
turn  retired  to  give  precedence  to  the  swashbuckling 
river-craft  of  half  a  century  ago,  so  these,  too,  have 


138 


The  Hudson  River 


disappeared,  and  now  the  traveller  finds  great  floating 
hotels,  run  to  maintain,  in  comfort  and  fidelity  to 
schedule  time,  a  successful  rivalry  with  the  modern 
railroad  service.  Their  appointments  are  no  longer 
barbaric,  their  accommodations  no  longer  uncomfort- 
able, their  voyages  no  longer  invitations  to  disaster 
and  sudden  death.  By  day,  they  sweep  by  the  base 
of  the  echoing  hills  or  into  the  open  river  reaches  with 
a  dignity  of  presence  and  a  majesty  of  motion  that 
fit  well  with  their  surroundings;  and,  by  night,  the 
inquisitive  eye  of  the  almost  omniscient  search-light 
explores  the  secrets  of  the  sleeping  shores.  But  it  dis- 
covers no  one  ready  to  stand  amazed  at  this  or  any 
other  marvel,  as  the  villagers  and  boatmen  did  when 
Fulton  directed  the  little  Clermont  up  the  stream  a 
century  ago,  and  filled  the  night  with  corruscations  of 
fat  pine  sparks,  and  the  quiet  sleepy  hamlets  with  the 
rattle  and  splash  of  his  primitive  engine. 


Chapter  X 


Riverside  to  Inwood 

RIVERSIDE  PARK  has  been  called  "the  mere 
aggrandisement  of  a  road."  In  a  sense  that 
is  true  and  3'et  the  aggrandisement  of  such 
a  road  in  such  a  way  suggests  the  embellishment  of  a 
book  by  extra  illustration,  till  the  original  volume 
appreciates  in  value  beyond  computation. 

From  7 2d  Street  to  130th  Street,  between  Eleventh 
and  Twelfth  Avenues — the  latter  near  the  river  level 
— Riverside  Drive  winds  over  hill  and  dale  for  three 
miles.  There  are  few  roads  in  the  world  that  can  com- 
pare with  it.  Every  turn  is  a  revelation  of  natural 
beauty  and  every  hillock  is  crowned  with  some  historic 
association. 

This  is  not  a  single  road,  but  a  "cluster  of  ample 
ways"  for  pleasure  riding  and  driving,  with  number- 
less nooks  "  that  a  bee  might  choose  to  dream  in,"  and 
sudden  revelations  of  the  river  at  points  where  natural 
advantages  have  been  seized  with  consummate  art. 

Across  to  Fort  Lee,  along  the  sheer  wall  of  the  Pali- 
sades, or  down  past  the  busy  shipping  to  where  Bar- 
tholdi's  statue  lifts  her  unwearied  arm,  the  outlook 

139 


I40 


The  Iluclson  Rix'cr 


is  a  ])anoraniic  dis])lay  of  ex(|uisitc  charm.  There  is 
nothing  that  seems  trivial  in  all  the  ])rosi)ect:  in  all 
that  comes  within  the  range  of  the  eye  the  "large  be- 
nignities" of  sky  and  river  conspire  to  delight  it. 

The  changing  hues  of  colour,  the  evanescent  shadows 
playing  across  the  distant  hills,  the  long  lanes  of  wind- 
drift  vanishing  in  perspective,  present  not  one  picture, 
but  a  never-ending  succession  of  them. 

Near  the  southern  end  of  Riverside  Drive  used  to 
be  a  place  of  resort  known  as  Elm  Park. 

Mr.  Benson  J.  Tossing  describes  it  as  a  camp-ground 
for  recruits  during  the  Civil  War,  "  once  the  seat  of  the 
Apthorpe  family."  The  Apthorpe  mansion  stood  at 
the  corner  of  9 1  st  Street  and  Columbus  Avenue.  Wash- 
ington had  his  headquarters  here  for  a  very  brief  time. 
The  de  Lancey  house,  the  property  of  General  Oliver 
de  Lancey,  stood  at  about  86th  Street.  In  the  winter 
of  1 777-,  w^hile  the  owner  was  absent,  a  party  of  young 
men  came  down  from  Tarrytown,  bent  on  retaliation 
for  the  burning  of  the  Van  Tassel  house,  not  far  from 
there.  They  were  led  by  Martlings  and  others,  and 
succeeded  in  passing  the  British  lines  and  setting  fire 
to  the  de  Lancey  mansion.  The  ladies  escaped  in  their 
night  dresses,  as  those  of  the  Van  Tassel  farmhouse 
had  done  a  short  time  before. 

Riverside  looks  dow^n  at  one  point  into  the  hollow 
that  was  known  in  the  old  times  as  Marritje  David's 
Vly,  now  127th  Street.  It  keeps  its  watch  above  the 
turmoil  of  the  waters  and  the  travel  upon  their  bosom, 


Riverside  to  Inwood 


143 


and  wears  proudly  its  own  record  of  Revolutionary 
happenings. 

The  trees  that  crown  this  ridge  and  sentinel  its  slopes 
give  an  impression  of  venerable  antiquity,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  receive  without  a  grain  of  allowance  the 
record  that  tells  how,  during  the  severe  winter  of  1779- 
80,  when  the  island  was  under  martial  law,  General 
Robertson  stripped  the  land  of  its  trees  for  fuel. 

At  the  north  end  of  Riverside  is  the  restaurant  where 
Jones's  Claremont  Hotel  stood,  half  a  century  ago. 
The  older  dwelling  that  it  replaced  was  the  residence 
of  Doctor  Post,  who  gave  it  the  name  of  Claremont. 
Viscount  Courtenay,  afterwards  Earl  of  Devon,  lived 
there  at  one  time,  previous  to  the  War  of  181 2.  Joseph 
Buonaparte,  ex-king  of  Spain,  when  in  exile,  also  made 
Claremont  his  residence  for  a  while,  and  Francis  Jones 
Jackson,  the  British  minister,  lived  there  during  his 
term  of  office.  The  spot  has  many  historic  associations 
to  enhance  its  natural  attractiveness,  but  a  far  deeper 
significance  was  added  when,  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  Claremont  was  selected  the  site  for  the 
Grant  mausoleum,  that,  apart  from  its  pretensions 
to  architectural  excellence,  attracts  attention  by  its 
magnetic  appeal  to  one  of  the  noblest  of  human  senti- 
ments. 

The  tomb  of  General  Grant  is  on  Riverside  Drive  at 
123d  Street,  and  is  a  conspicuous  landmark,  as  seen 
from  the  river.  With  a  superficial  area  of  8100  square 
feet  and  an  extreme  height  of  150  feet,  fashioned  in 


144 


The  I  hulsoii  Ri\  cr 


while  i^ranilc  from  Maine,  this  maiisoleiini  takes  rank 
among  the  most  eelebrated  eommemoratix'e  huihhngs 
in  the  world.  The  circular  cupola,  surrounded  by 
columns  and  surmounted  l)y  a  conical  cap  or  (k)me, 
rests  u])()n  a  massive  cul)e  of  masonry,  relie\'ed  ])y 
entabkiture,  frieze,  and  columns  of  ])ure  Ionic  design 
and  entered  through  a  ])ortico  of  nol)lc  ])roportions. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  describe  the  interior  of  this 
remarkable  tomb,  with  its  imj^ressive  chamber  and  the 
crypt  wherein  lies  the  dust  of  General  Grant  in  a  sar- 
cophagus of  red  ])or])hyry.  The  tomb  was  built  with  the 
contributions  of  90,000  subscriptions  to  a  fund  that 
aggregated  $600,000,  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by 
President  Harrison  in  April,  1892. 

The  late  Chinese  statesman,  Li  Hung  Chang,  w^as  an 
early  subscriber  to  the  monument  fund  and  presented 
a  gingko  tree,  which  is  growing  at  the  north  side  of  the 
tomb.    Upon  it  a  bronze  tablet  bears  this  inscription: 

This  tree  is  planted  at  the  side  of  the  tomb  of  General  U.  S. 
Grant,  ex-President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  for  the 
purpose  of  commemorating  his  greatness,  by  Li  Hung  Chang, 
Guardian  of  the  Prince,  Grand  Secretary  of  State,  Earl  of  the 
First  Order  Yang  Hu,  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary of  China,  Vice-President  of  the  Board  of  Censors. 
Kwang  Hsu,  23d  year,  4th  moon,  May,  1897. 

Some  distance  to  the  south  of  Grant's  tomb,  at  89th~ 
90th  Streets  is  the  new  soldiers'  and  sailors'  monu- 
ment. 

Back  of  Riverside,  upon  the  ridge  now  known  as 
Cathedral  Heights,  the  magnificent  cathedral  of  St. 


J 


Riverside  to  Inwood 


H7 


John  the  Divine  is  now  (1902)  being  erected  on  a  site 
covering  three  city  blocks,  from  iioth  to  113th  Streets. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  in  1892,  and  possibly  most  of 
the  present  generation  of  men  will  have  passed  away 
before  the  entire  work  is  completed.  The  cost  will  ap- 
proximate six  millions  of  dollars. 

Cathedral  Heights  is  at  the  southern  end  of  Morn- 
ingside  Heights,  a  region  that  has  been  fitly  charac- 
terised by  Mr.  Seth  Low  as  the  Acropolis  of  the  New 
World."  Crowning  the  Heights,  among  the  most  con- 
spicuous landmarks  of  the  Hudson,  are  the  buildings 
of  Columbia  University.  These,  when  all  completed, 
will  number  fifteen,  central  among  which  is  the  unique 
Low  Memorial  Library.  It  is  one  of  the  purest  ex- 
amples of  classic  Greek  architecture  in  America.  In 
form,  its  describes  a  Maltese  cross,  surmounted  by  a 
dome  of  noble  proportions,  beneath  which  is  the  al- 
ready famous  rotunda  that  constitutes  the  central 
feature  of  the  building.  A  statue  of  Pallas  Athene 
stands  at  the  doorwa}^,  within  the  ample  colonnade, 
to  reach  which  one  must  cross  the  broad,  paved  espla- 
nade and  mount  a  wide  flight  of  stairs  —  for  the 
architects  wisely  put  this  building  on  a  grade  far 
enough  above  that  of  the  street  to  add  to  its  impres- 
sive beauty. 

The  other  buildings  of  the  University  group  that  are 
already  completed  are  the  Engineering  Building,  Scher- 
merhorn,  Fayerweather,  and  Havemeyer  Halls,  and 
part  of  University  Hall. 


148 


The  Hudson  River 


Columbia  College  was  first  of  all  the  old  King's 
College,  founded  by  Royal  eharter  in  the  time  of 
George  II.  After  the  indei)endence  of  the  eolonies 
was  won,  "King's"  became  ''Columbia."  The  present 
site  is  the  latest,  and  it  is  ho])ed  the  last,  of  several 
homes  that  have  been  familiar  to  successive  genera- 
tions of  Columbia  alumnae. 

The  buildings  of  Columbia  University  are  upon  the 
ground  made  memorable  in  American  history  by  what 
has  been  called  the  Battle  of  Harlem  Heights,  to  which 
particular  reference  is  made  in  another  chapter.  On 
the  Broadway  side  of  the  Engineering  Building  there 
is  a  bronze  tablet  commemorating  this  action,  which 
took  place  on  the  i6th  of  September,  1776. 

Near  Columbia,  only  separated  by  Broadway,  is 
Barnard  College,  for  women,  which  is  a  department  of 
the  University.  This  is  at  119th  Street.  At  120th 
is  the  Teachers  College,  founded  in  1886  by  Miss  Grace 
Dodge.    This  also  is  now  a  part  of  Columbia. 

One  of  the  most  notable  structures  along  the  ridge 
is  that  of  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  opposite  the  Cathedral 
grounds,  at  113th  Street. 

Back  from  the  river  and  hidden,  except  at  one  or 
two  points,  where  a  transverse  valley  crosses  the  main 
ridge  of  the  island  at  i6ist  Street,  stands  the  historic 
Jumel  mansion,  as  it  is  usually  called.  The  name  is 
that  of  the  first  husband  of  Madame  Aaron  Burr,  who 
owned  the  house  at  one  time.  It  was  built  in  1758 
by  Colonel  Roger  Morris,  once  Washington's  com- 


Riverside  to  Inwood 


panion  in  arms,  when  they  were  both  aides  to  General 
Braddock.  Mary  Philipse,  for  whose  hand  it  is  said 
that  Washington  was  a  suitor,  married  Morris  and 
Hved  in  this  old  house.  In  1776,  when  the  Americans 
w^ere  retreating  after  the  Battle  of  Long  Island,  Wash- 
ington made  his  headquarters  there.  Captain  Nathan 
Hale  received  his  instructions  at  that  old  house  and 
started  from  there  on  his  fatal  mission.  There  Wash- 
ington again  came,  this  time  as  a  guest,  with  his  cabi- 
net, in  1790.  Under  its  roof,  Madame  Jumel,  having 
obtained  her  divorce  from  Burr,  died  in  poverty. 

It  has  a  strange,  full  history,  that  severe,  prim  old 
colonial  mansion  that  one  may  catch  a  passing  glimpse 
of  from  the  river. 

Besides  the  buildings  of  a  public  character  that  have 
been  enumerated  here,  and  others  which  are  omitted 
for  lack  of  space,  there  are  numberless  private  resi- 
dences, some  of  them  quite  palatial  in  extent,  that 
crown  the  heights  or  are  scattered  along  the  slopes  of 
the  shore. 

Immediately  above  Riverside  Park  is  the  former 
village  known  to  its  residents  as  Manhattanville.  A 
steel  viaduct  spans  the  Manhattan  Valley  and  connects 
Riverside  Drive  with  the  Harlem  Speedway.  At  Man- 
hattanville, on  128th  Street,  near  St.  Nicholas  Avenue, 
is  the  celebrated  convent  school,  under  the  charge  of  the 
sisters  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  The  buildings,  of  brown 
stone,  large  enough  for  the  accommodation  of  several " 
hundred  scholars,  are  situated  in  the  middle  of  a  wooded 


152 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


park.  Here  the  ])U])ils  are  not  confined  to  those  of  one 
creed,  though  uniformity  in  dress  among  the  inmates 
of  the  school  is  required. 

Overlooking  Manhattan\'ille  is  the  old  Lawrence 
homestead,  built  by  John  B.  Lawrence  more  than  a 
century  ago.  Lawrence  Street,  in  the  vicinity,  per- 
petuates his  name.  Between  the  Watkins  and  Brad- 
hurst  houses,  a  short  distance  below  148th  Street, 
Alexander  Hamilton  built  his  celebrated  country  seat, 
the  Grange.  This  was  not  erected  until  after  the  Revo- 
lution. Here  the  statesman  and  soldier  passed  the  last 
years  of  his  busy  and  brilliant  career,  surrounded  by 
his  friends,  but  not  entirely  free  from  the  animosities 
of  political  life — enmities  that  finally  culminated  in  the 
fatal  encounter  betw^een  himself  and  Aaron  Burr. 

The  thirteen  elm  trees  planted  by  Hamilton  near  his 
house,  to  celebrate  the  thirteen  original  states  of  the 
union,  were  saved  from  destruction  some  years  ago  by 
Orlando  Potter,  who  paid  $140,000  for  the  ground 
upon  which  they  stood. 

Dr.  Samuel  Bradhurst  built  a  house  north  of  the 
Grange,  not  far  from  the  site  of  the  noted  Watkins 
house  on  St.  Nicholas  Avenue.  These  old  homes  were 
celebrated  for  the  fine  and  courth^  hospitalit}'  which 
mingled  freedom  with  conventionalit}^  and  reconciled 
convival  manners  with  the  strict  social  requirements  of 
the  an  etc  n  regime. 

The  three  or  four  dwellings  last  noticed  lay  along 
the  line  of  the  Bloomingdale  road  and  covered  ground 


I 


Riverside  to  Inwood 


155 


made  memorable  as  the  scene  of  Revolutionary  con- 
flict. 

The  valley  in  which  Manhattanville  lies  extends 
from  the  Hudson  to  the  East  River,  and  was  once 
known  as  the  Harlem  Cove  and  still  earlier  as  the 
Hollow  Way.  Fortifications  were  erected  upon  its 
sides  in  181 2. 

Just  above  the  steamboat  landing  at  15 2d  Street  is 
Trinity  Cemetery,  traversed  by  the  Boulevard  Lafay- 
ette. North  of  this  is  the  cluster  of  residences  that 
occupies  Audubon  Park,  where  the  famous  naturalist 
once  had  his  home.  A  little  above  is  the  building  of 
the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  between  the  Kingsbridge 
road  and  the  Hudson  and  nine  miles  from  the  City 
Hall. 

Now  we  approach  the  section  known  as  Washington 
Heights,  a  region  of  park-like  aspect,  traversed  by 
delightful  avenues,  shaded  by  fine  trees,  and  dotted 
with  residences,  with  here  and  there  some  institution 
of  a  public  character. 

Nearly  midway  along  the  river  front,  at  175th  Street, 
is  Fort  Washington,  where  once  stood  the  fortress  that, 
with  its  garrison  of  3000  men,  was  captured  by  the  Brit- 
ish in  November,  1776.  A  small  redoubt,  also  taken 
at  that  time,  occupied  the  point  that  juts  into  the 
river  at  this  place.  The  sites  of  both  the  fort  and  re- 
doubt have  been  set  aside  as  a  public  park.  The 
point,  which  is  now  known  as  Fort  Washington  Point, 
was  formerly  called  Jeffrey's  Hook,  and  has  been 


156 


The  Hudson  River 


familiar  to  generations  of  river  men  as  marking  the 
deepest  ])art  of  the  stream. 

It  has  seemed  advisable  to  give  a  separate  eha])ter 
to  the  military  associations  of  Forts  Washington  and 
Lee.  Among  the  most  recent  of  notable  transfers  of 
Hudson  River  property  was  the  sale  of  a  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  city  blocks  at  Mount  Washing- 
ton in  January,  1902.  This  was  formerly  a  part  of 
the  estate  of  Lucius  B  Chittenden,  well  known  as  a 
Broadway  merchant,  who  died  about  thirty  years  ago. 
The  last  owner  was  Mrs.  Chittenden,  a  widow,  living  in 
England.  This  land  Hes  from  about  189th  to  197th 
Streets. 

.Among  those  who  have  made  a  home  in  this  part  of 
Manhattan  in  modern  times,  few  have  reached  the 
eminence  attained  by  the  celebrated  lawyer,  Charles 
O'Connor,  of  whom  Judge  Charles  P.  Daly  said:  "He 
has  filled  a  place  in  the  jurisprudence  of  this  State 
greater  than  that  of  any  lawyer  who  has  ever  lived 
in  it." 

We  are  nearing  the  end  of  Manhattan  Island.  The 
wooded,  inviting  knoll  of  Inwood  rises  above  the  haunted 
waters  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek,  itself  the  home  of  many 
a  spirit,  if  it  be  true  that  ghosts  walk.  The  Indians 
long  ago  gave  it  a  name  of  unpronounceable  gutturals, 
and  sowed  its  rocky  soil  with  arrow-heads  and  tradi- 
tions. Along  the  ridges  and  through  the  woods  where 
they  disputed  titles  with  their  neighbours,  the  bears 
and  the  catamounts,  generations  of  white  men  have 


V 


Riverside  to  Inwood 


159 


come  with  their  feuds  and  friendships,  their  loves  and 
their  hates,  and  have  also  passed  away.  From  the 
great  city,  less  and  less  distant  every  year,  the  rumble 
and  the  roar  of  approaching  activity  warn  the  dweller 
among  green  lawns  and  trees  that  the  days  of  his 
seclusion  are  numbered. 


Chapter  XI 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776 

BRITISH  plans  to  gain  possession  of  New  York 
in  order  to  command  the  entrance  of  the 
Hudson,  were  reported  to  Congress  in  Octo- 
ber, 1775.  Inquiries,  it  was  said,  had  been  made  by 
Englishmen  high  in  authority  as  to  the  feasibility  of 
erecting  forts  in  the  Highlands,  thus  controlling  the 
navigation  of  the  river.  Albany  was  also  included  in 
these  designs  for  keeping  open  communication  be- 
tween Quebec  and  the  lower  provinces. 

Such  reports,  whether  well  or  ill  founded,  had  the 
desirable  effect  of  inciting  the  Continental  leaders  to 
measures  for  the  protection  of  the  river  and  its  shores. 
The  military  importance  of  the  Hudson  in  the  impend- 
ing struggle  could  not  be  overestimated,  and  although 
the  scene  of  conflict  shifted  from  Canada  to  the  Caro- 
linas,  and  the  fields  of  PennsAdvania  and  New  Jersey 
were  devastated,  yet  from  first  to  last  the  great  river 
was  the  key  to  the  continent  for  which  both  sides  con- 
tended. 

On  suspicion  that  New  York  City  was  the  destina- 
tion of  the  fleet  preparing  to  sail  under  command  of 

160 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  163 

Sir  Henry  Clinton,  from  Boston,  General  Lee  urged 
Washington  to  permit  him  to  recruit  for  its  defence  a 
force  of  Connecticut  troops.  The  commander  ap- 
proved this  plan,  but  doubted  apparently  whether  his 
authority  was  sufficient  to  warrant  such  an  exercise 
of  power.  John  Adams,  being  near  at  hand  at  the 
time,  was  consulted,  and  strongly  endorsed  the  pro- 
posed measure,  considering  as  a  sufficient  warrant  the 
extraordinary  authority  with  which  Washington  had 
recently  been  invested  by  Congress. 

Lee  was  thereupon  commissioned  to  raise  volunteers 
in  Connecticut,  secure  military  aid  from  New  Jersey, 
disarm  the  Tories  in  the  neighbourhood  of  New  York, 
and  to  put  the  city  and  river  in  a  condition  for  defence 
against  the  contemplated  attack  of  the  British.  After 
some  difficulty  he  succeeded  in  accomplishing  the 
greater  part  of  this  task,  and  proceeded  to  take  pos- 
session of  New  York.  But  the  first  movement  in  that 
direction  brought  a  hornet  s  nest  buzzing  about  his 
ears.  Clearly  the  citizens  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as 
being  defended. 

The  merchants  and  householders  saw  in  the  im- 
petuous and  often  impolitic  Lee  and  his  hastily  gath- 
ered levies  of  raw  troops  a  menace  to  their  well  being 
much  greater  than  they  discovered  in  the  ships  of  his 
Majesty  that  were  in  the  harbour.  That  staunch 
patriot,  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Safety,  addressed  a  letter  to  General  Lee, 
protesting  that  the  city  was  not  capable  of  acting 


The  Hudson  River 


hostilely  against  the  British  ships,  as  it  lacked  both 
miUtary  works  and  munitions.  He  urged  the  ad- 
visabihty  of  doing  nothing  to  provoke  attaek  and  more 
than  hinted  that  his  correspondent's  room  would  just 
then  be  greatly  preferred  to  his  company. 

We,  therefore  [continued  the  letter],  ardently  wish  to  remain 
in  peace  for  a  little  time,  and  doubt  not  we  have  assigned  suffi- 
cient reasons  for  avoiding  at  present,  a  dilemma,  in  which  the 
entrance  of  a  large  body  of  troops  into  the  city,  will  almost 
certainly  involve  us.  Should  you  have  such  an  entrance  in 
design,  we  beg  at  least  the  troops  may  halt  on  the  western 
confines  of  Connecticut,  till  we  have  been  honoured  by  you 
with  such  an  explanation  on  this  important  subject,  as  you 
may  conceive  your  duty  may  permit  you  to  enter  upon  with  us, 
the  grounds  of  which,  you  may  easily  see,  ought  to  be  kept  an 
entire  secret. 

General  Lee's  reply  was  intended  to  be  reassuring. 
He  disclaimed  any  intention  of  provoking  strife  or  com- 
mencing hostilities,  but  he  threw  in  such  lurid  hints  of 
funeral  pyres  and  the  like  that  New  York  merchants 
were  panic-stricken. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1776,  Lee  arrived  in  New 
York  on  the  same  day  that  the  squadron  from  Bos- 
ton, with  Sir  Henry  Clinton  in  command,  arrived  in 
the  harbour.  Such  a  coincidence  threw  the  already 
agitated  city  into  a  ferment.  An  exodus  of  the  more 
timid  inhabitants  commenced,  and  even  through  the 
succeeding  hours  of  darkness  it  is  said  were  there  carts 
going  and  boats  loading,  and  women  and  children 
crying,  and  distressed  voices  heard  in  the  roads  in  the 
dead  of  night. ' ' 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  165 


But  nothing  came  of  Clinton's  visit.  He  protested 
that  he  had  simply  called  to  pay  his  respects  in  a 
friendly  way  to  Governor  Tryon,  a  proceeding  that 
Lee  reported  as  "the  most  whimsical  piece  of  civility 
I  ever  heard  of. ' ' 

The  British  fleet  sailed  south  and  the  inhabitants 
of  New  York,  relieved  from  their  fears  for  the  time, 
began  to  settle  down  to  quiet.  An  agreement  was 
reached,  between  the  Committee  of  Safety  and  Lee,  as 
to  the  nature  and  scope  of  the  defence  to  be  attempted. 
They  are  best  explained  in  the  latter 's  own  words: 

The  Congress  committees,  a  certain  number  of  the  committees 
of  safety,  and  your  humble  servant  [writes  he  to  Washington], 
have  had  two  conferences.  The  result  is  such  as  will  agreeably 
surprise  you.  It  is  in  the  first  place  agreed,  and  justly,  that  to 
fortify  the  town  against  shipping  is  impracticable;  but  we  are 
to  fortify  lodgments  on  some  commanding  part  of  the  city  for 
two  thousand  men.  We  are  to  erect  enclosed  batteries  on  both 
sides  of  the  water,  near  Hell  Gate,  which  will  answer  the  double 
purpose  of  securing  the  town  against  piracies  through  the  Sound, 
and  secure  our  communication  with  Long  Island,  now  become  a 
more  important  point  than  ever;  as  it  is  determined  to  form  a 
strong  fortified  camp  of  three  thousand  men,  on  the  island,  im- 
mediately opposite  to  New  York.  The  pass  in  the  Highlands  is 
to  be  made  as  respectable  as  possible,  and  guarded  by  a  bat- 
talion.   In  short,  I  think  the  plan  judicious  and  complete. 

Kingsbridge,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  island,  con- 
necting it  with  the  mainland,  he  considered  most  im- 
portant, and  intended  to  make  preparations  for  its 
defence. 

But  while  most  of  his  plans  were  still  in  the  air  Con- 
gress ordered  the  energetic  officer  to  another  command 


The  I  Iiulson  Ri\  cr 


and  he  bewailed  the  fact  tliat  iij^on  his  \vitli(h-awal 
the  *'  provincial  Congress  and  the  inhabitants  in  <;en- 
eral  will  relapse  into  their  former  hysterics." 

The  unfavourable  impression  left  by  subsecjuent  acts 
of  this  energetic  but  not  too  well  balanced  olficer  ma\' 
blind  us  to  the  really  excellent  service  he  accom])lished. 
His  own  valuation  of  that  service  was  not  excessive. 
The  threats  of  Governor  Tr\^on,  the  carpings  of  Tory 
residents,  and  the  i)leas  of  the  timid  were  all  disregarded, 
while  with  an  energy  and  foresight  highly  creditable, 
he  placed  the  city  in  such  a  condition  of  defence  as  w^as 
then  possible.  The  peremptory  measures  adopted  to  put 
an  end  to  supplying  the  enemy's  fleet  with  provisions 
were  effectual;  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  evidently  discour- 
aged by  the  military  demonstration  in  the  city,  with- 
drew without  attempting  to  strike  a  blow,  and  time 
was  secured  for  the  Americans  to  do  w^hat  the  British 
had  planned  to  do;  that  is,  to  fortify  the  highlands 
of  the  river. 

It  is  interesting  to  contemplate  what  might  have 
been  the  course  of  American  history  if  Clinton  s  fleet, 
upon  its  arrival  from  Boston,  had  not  found  General 
Lee  and  his  volunteer  forces  in  Xew  York. 

On  the  departure  of  General  Lee,  Lord  Stirling, 
Brigadier- General,  remained  in  temporary  command  of 
New  York;  but  the  Commander-in-chief,  anticipating 
an  attack  in  force,  dispatched  Heath  and  Sullivan  to 
the  city  with  reinforcements,  ordered  forward  a  body 
of  three  thousand  Connecticut  troops,   and  placed 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  167 

General  Israel  Putnam  in  authority.  This  veteran 
officer  entered  the  city  on  April  4,  1776,  just  three 
months  before  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. Following  in  their  general  outline  the 
plans  made  by  his  predecessor,  Putnam  continued  the 
construction  of  defences  on  the  East  River  and  under- 
took also  to  close  the  Hudson  by  erecting  several  bat- 
teries along  shore  and  placing  obstructions  in  the 
channel. 

Washington  arrived  on  the  14th  of  the  month,  his 
appearance  being  the  signal  for  rejoicing  on  the  part  of 
the  majority  of  those  who  remained  in  the  city.  At 
that  time  the  total  armed  force  numbered  about  10,000 
men,  several  regiments  having  been  withdrawn  by 
Congress,  for  Canadian  service.  In  May  Colonel  Rufus 
Putnam  was  dispatched  to  the  Highlands,  ''to  put  the 
defences  there  in  a  fit  and  proper  posture." 

Towards  the  end  of  June  the  long-expected  fleet  of 
the  British  began  to  make  its  appearance.  Forty 
vessels  from  Halifax,  bringing  the  troops  that  had  re- 
cently occupied  Boston,  and  accompanied  by  trans- 
ports with  newly  arrived  Highlanders,  led  the  armada, 
which  was  soon  augmented  by  other  men-of-war  and 
troop-ships,  till  the  number  reached  one  hundred  and 
thirty.  The  frigate  Greyhound  brought  the  commander, 
of  the  British  forces.  General  Howe,  somewhat  in  ad- 
vance of  the  rest  of  the  fleet. 

Colonel  James  Clinton,  who  had  command  of  the 
posts  in  the  Highlands,  was  immediately  notified  of 


The  Hudson  River 


the  arrival  of  this  menacing  force  of  the  enemy  and 
directed  to  make  all  possible  preparation  for  its  recep- 
tion if  a  ]xissai^o  of  the  river  should  l)c  attempted. 
About  this  time  CHnton  was  also  in  receipt  of  several 
letters  from  committees  in  Cornwall  and  Newburgh, 
infcnming  him  of  the  presence  of  certain  active  Royalists 
who  were  forming  a  conspiracy  to  cooperate  with  the 
British  troops  upon  their  arrival. 

But  not  even  the  presence  of  a  powerful  enemy  on 
the  one  side  and  dangerous  neighbours  on  the  other 
could  dampen  the  ardour  with  which  the  Colonial  party 
in  New  York  greeted  the  news  that  the  instrument 
which  proclaimed  the  independence  of  the  American 
Colonies  had  been  signed  at  Philadelphia.  For  several 
days  the  patriots  celebrated  the  great  event,  incident- 
ally pulling  down  the  leaden  statue  of  George  III., 
which,  in  a  spasm  of  loyalty,  they  had  erected  only  a 
short  time  before. 

Putnam  w^as  not  idle:  his  defences  were  rapidly 
growing.  The  forts  commanding  the  North  River 
about  this  time  included  the  Grand  Battery,  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  island;  Fort  George,  im- 
mediately north  of  it;  White  Hall  Battery,  on  the  left 
of  the  Grand  Battery ;  Oyster  Battery,  behind  General 
Washington's  headquarters;  Grenadier  Battery,  "  Near 
the  Brew  House  on  the  North  River ' ' ;  Jersey  Battery, 
at  the  left  of  the  one  last  named ;  Bayard  Hill  Redoubt, 
on  Bayards  Hill,  now  Grand  Street;  Spencers,  on  a 
hill  where  General  Spencers  brigade  w^as  encamped; 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  169 


and  Waterbury's  Battery,  on  a  wharf  below  Spencer's 
hill,  and  Bedlam's  Redoubt,  on  a  hill  near  the  Jews' 
burying-ground. 

In  addition  to  these  works  Putnam  was  completing 
his  plans  for  the  destruction  of  the  British  fleet  and  the 
obstruction  of  the  Hudson  River.  Early  in  July  he 
wrote  to  General  Gates,  commanding  the  Northern 
department,  as  follows: 

The  enemy's  fleet  now  lies  in  the  bay  very  safe,  close  under 
Staten  Island.  Their  troops  possess  no  land  here  but  the 
Island.  Is  it  not  very  strange,  that  those  invincible  troops, 
who  were  to  destroy  and  lay  waste  all  this  country  with  their 
fleets  and  army,  are  so  fond  of  islands  and  peninsulas,  and  dare 
not  put  their  feet  on  the  main?  But,  I  hope,  by  the  blessing  of 
God  and  good  friends  we  shall  pay  them  a  visit  on  their  island. 
For  that  end,  we  are  preparing  fourteen  fire-ships  to  go  into 
their  fleet,  some  of  which  are  ready  charged  and  fitted  to  sail^ 
and  I  hope  soon  to  have  them  all  fixed.  We  are  preparing  che- 
vatix-de-frise,  at  which  we  make  great  dispatch  by  the  help  of 
ships,  which  are  to  be  sunk;  a  scheme  of  mine  which  you  may 
be  assured  is  very  simple,  a  plan  of  which  I  send  you.  The  two 
ships'  sterns  lie  towards  each  other,  about  seventy  feet  apart. 
Three  large  logs,  which  reach  from  ship  to  ship,  are  fastened  to 
them.  The  two  ships  and  logs  stop  the  river  two  hundred  and 
eighty  feet.  The  ships  are  to  be  sunk,  and,  when  hauled  down 
on  one  side,  the  picks  will  be  raised  to  a  proper  height,  and  they 
must  inevitably  stop  the  river  if  the  enemy  will  let  us  sink 
them. 

These  well-laid  plans  miscarried.  The  fire-ships  did 
not  accomplish  what  had  been  anticipated  and  a  sub- 
marine engine,  prepared  by  an  ingenious  Connecticut 
man"  failed  to  explode  at  the  desired  time  and  place. 
Its  interior  clockwork  being  badly  timed,  it  merely 


IJO 


The  Hudson  River 


"l)le\v  up  a  vast  column  of  water"  without  doing  any 
damage  to  the  enemy's  vessels.  It  had,  however,  the 
effect  of  astonishing  the  British  and  affording  General 
Putnam  great  amusement. 

More  than  that,  before  the  obstructions  were  in 
place  in  the  channel  two  British  war-ships  left  their 
anchorage  and,  taking  advantage  of  a  brisk  breeze, 
sailed  past  the  forts  and  ascended  the  river.  They 
were  fired  upon  by  the  shore  batteries  and  replied 
sharply  with  a  broadside,  but  did  not  linger  or  turn 
back.  Where  they  were  bound,  whether  to  land  troops 
at  some  point  on  the  mainland,  to  attack  the  forts  in 
the  Highlands,  or  to  harass  the  inhabitants  of  the 
villages  along  the  river,  could  only  be  conjectured. 

Washington  sent  a  message  to  General  Mifflin,  at 
High  Bridge,  urging  him  to  be  alert,  and  an  express 
also  warned  the  New  York  convention,  sitting  at  White 
Plains. 

George  Clinton  was  at  New  Windsor  above  the 
Highlands,  and  his  brother,  James,  at  Fort  Constitu- 
tion. They  were  first  warned  of  the  British  approach 
by  the  captains  of  two  river  sloops  who  had  seen  the 
exchange  of  fire  between  the  frigates  and  the  forts  and 
had  fled  from  the  scene  of  danger  as  fast  as  possible. 
The  following  day  Washington's  messenger  arrived, 
onh'  to  find  that  his  orders  had  been  anticipated  and 
that  the  most  energetic  measures  for  the  defence  of  the 
ri\^er  were  already  under  way. 

The  arrival  of  Lord  Howe,  Admiral  of  the  British 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  171 

fleet,  filled  with  consternation  those  whose  sympathies 
were  enlisted  with  the  American  cause.  It  was  un- 
derstood that  affairs  were  approaching  a  crisis  and 
that  the  long  anticipated  attack  would  no  longer  be 
deferred. 

Lord  Howe  s  proclamation,  offering  pardon  to  those 
who  had  deviated  from  their  allegiance  to  the  Crown, 
seemed  to  indicate  a  pacific  purpose.  It  w^as  followed 
almost  immediately  by  an  attempt  to  negotiate  with 
General  Washington,  with  a  view^  to  the  restoration  of 
peace,  but  these  measures,  as  the  student  of  history 
knows,  were  unsuccessful. 

Having  called  attention  to  the  means  by  which  the 
Americans  endeavoured  to  protect  the  city  and  river 
from  the  British  encroachment  during  the  spring  and 
summer  of  1776,  we  may  now  proceed  to  describe 
briefly  the  disposition  of  the  opposing  forces  after  the 
disastrous  battle  of  Long  Island,  in  September  of  that 
year,  and  especially  to  indicate  the  ground  upon  which 
was  fought  the  important  engagement  of  Harlem 
Heights. 

After  Washington's  remarkable  retreat  with  his 
beaten  army  across  the  East  River,  the  city  of  New 
York  was  in  a  turmoil.  On  the  part  of  some  of  the 
troops  there  were  threats  of  reducing  it  to  ashes,  while 
others  protested  vehemently  against  such  drastic  meas- 
ures. Acting  upon  the  theory  that  the  enemy  would 
follow  his  recent  successes  by  further  aggression,  the 
Commander-in-chief  ordered  that  all  of  the  sick  and 


172 


The  Hudson  River 


wounded  should  be  removed  to  Orange,  in  New  Jersey, 
while  surplus  stores  and  baggage  were  to  be  trans- 
ported to  Dobbs  Ferry.  Desertions  were  the  scandal 
of  the  day.  Two  thirds  of  the  Connecticut  troops  were 
smitten  with  an  irresistible  attack  of  nostalgia,  that 
nothing  but  a  sight  of  their  own  firesides  could  remedy- 
Still  the  indefatigable  Putnam  continued  to  construct 
forts  and  plan  chevattx-dc-jrise.  Fort  Constitution,  op- 
posite Fort  Washington,  was  commenced,  and  a  strong 
detachment  of  troops  stationed  there. 

It  was  evident  to  Washington  and  his  officers  that 
the  plan  of  the  British  was  to 

enclose  us  on  the  island  of  New  York,  by  taking  posts  in 
our  rear,  while  the  shipping  secures  the  front,  and  thus,  by 
cutting  off  our  communication  with  the  country,  oblige  us  to 
fight  them  on  their  own  terms  or  surrender  at  discretion;  or  by 
a  brilliant  stroke  endeavour  to  cut  this  army  to  pieces  and 
secure  the  collection  of  arms  and  stores,  which,  they  well  know, 
we  shall  not  soon  be  able  to  replace. 

On  the  7  th  of  September  the  question  of  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  city  was  discussed  and  the  council  of  war 
finally  decided  upon  a  partial  withdrawal. 

Putnam,  who  had  been  strongly  in  favour  of  evacua- 
tion, was  to  be  left  in  the  city  with  five  thousand 
soldiers,  while  Heath  was  to  keep  the  upper  part  of  the 
island  with  nine  thousand,  opposing  the  attempts  of 
the  enemy  to  land.  A  third  division,  under  command 
of  Generals  Greene  and  Spencer,  was  stationed  near 
Turtle  and  Kipp's  bays,  on  the  East  River.  Accord- 
ing to  several  authorities  Washington  had  his  head- 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  173 

qtiarters  in  the  old  Apthorpe  mansion,  a  short  distance 
out  of  the  city,  on  the  Hudson  River  side. 

Congress  having  left  the  decision  relating  to  the 
evacuation  of  New  York  entirely  to  the  Commander- 
in-chief,  and  nearly  all  of  his  officers  determining,  upon 
a  second  council  being  held,  that  retreat  was  a  necessity, 
preparations  were  rapidly  made  to  complete  the  with- 
drawal of  the  Continental  forces. 

The  attack  of  the  British,  concentrated  upon  the 
forces  under  Greene  and  Spencer,  on  the  15th,  pre- 
cipitated the  movement.  The  Connecticut  levies  at 
Kipp  s  Bay  and  Turtle  Bay  fled,  making  hardly  any 
resistance.  The  presence  and  almost  frantic  opposi- 
tion of  Washington  himself  did  not  serve  to  check  the 
panic  into  which  they  were  thrown. 

An  express  was  immediately  dispatched  to  Putnam^ 
ordering  him  to  retreat.  He  called  in  his  pickets  and 
guards  and  abandoned  the  cit}^  leaving  most  of  his 
stores  and  the  heav}^  guns  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
foe.  The  day  was  sultry  and  torrid  and  the  little  army 
encumbered  with  women  and  children,  besides  a  hetero- 
geneous assortment  of  baggage.  The  strength  of  the 
men  was  overtaxed  and  the  morale  of  the  command 
low,  but  the  commanding  officer  was  as  full  of  fire  and 
courage  as  ever,  and  pulled  his  army  through  by  the 
sheer  force  of  his  own  personality. 

Colonel  Humphreys,  acting  at  the  time  as  a  volun- 
teer with  Putnam,  has  left  the  following  account  of 
him: 


174 


The  Hudson  Ri\'cr 


I  had  frequent  opportunities  that  day  of  beholding  him,  for 
the  purpose  of  issuing  orders  and  encouraging  the  troops,  flving 
on  his  horse  covered  with  foam,  wlierever  his  presence  was  most 
necessary.  Without  his  extraordinary  exertions,  the  guards 
must  have  been  inevitably  lost,  and  it  is  probable  the  entire 
corps  would  have  been  cut  in  pieces. 

When  we  were  not  far  from  Bloomingdale,  an  aide-de-camp 
came  to  him  at  full  speed,  to  inform  him  that  a  column  of  British 
infantry  was  descending  upon  our  right.  Our  rear  was  soon 
fired  upon,  and  the  colonel  of  our  regiment,  whose  order  was 
just  communicated  for  the  front  to  file  off  to  the  left,  was 
killed  upon  the  spot.  With  no  other  loss,  we  joined  the  army 
after  dark  upon  the  heights  of  Harlem. 

From  Bayard  Hill  Fort,  which  was  on  what  is  now 
Grand  Street,  the  Hne  of  retreat  was,  according  to  the 
best  evidence,  across  country  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Greenwich  village,  and  then  by  way  of  the  road  that 
was  afterwards  called  the  Abingdon-Fitz-Roy  road 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  Forty-second  or  Forty-third 
Street.  From  that  point  the  direction  was  toward 
Harlem  Heights. 

An  incident  of  the  march  is  thus  told  by  Irving : 

Tradition  gives  a  circumstance  which  favoured  Putnam's  re- 
treat. The  British  generals,  in  passing  by  Murray  Hill,  the 
country  residence  of  a  patriot  of  that  name,  who  was  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  made  a  halt  to  seek  some  refreshment. 
The  proprietor  of  the  house  was  absent;  but  his  wife  set  cake 
and  wine  before  them  in  abundance.  So  grateful  were  these 
refreshments  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  that  they  lingered  over 
their  w^ine,  quaffing  and  laughing,  and  bantering  their  patriotic 
hostess  about  the  ludicrous  panic  and  discomfiture  of  her  country- 
men. In  the  meantime,  before  they  were  roused  from  their 
regale,  Putnam  and  his  forces  had  nearly  passed  by,  within  a 
mile  of  them. 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  175 


Washington's  retirement  from  his  previous  head- 
quarters to  the  Jumel  mansion  in  Richmond  Hill 
occurred  on  the  evening  of  the  14th,  before  the  British 
had  gained  possession  of  the  lower  end  of  the  island. 

The  enemy's  line  extended  from  Horen  s  Hook  on 
the  East  River  across  the  island  to  about  91st  Street 
on  the  North  River.  The  vanguard  was  commanded 
by  General  Leslie,  whose  most  advanced  picket  posts 
did  not  go  above  95th  Street.  The  main  body  of  the 
Americans  was  resting  upon  Harlem  Heights,  their 
pickets  about  13 2d  Street. 

On  the  morning  of  the  i6th,  before  daylight,  Colonel 
Thomas  Knowlton,  of  Bunker  Hill  fame,  was  directed 
by  Washington  to  advance  with  a  reconnoitring  party 
of  Rangers,  to  determine  the  position  and  strength  of 
the  enemy.  It  is  not  known  whether  he  started  from 
the  right  of  our  pickets  or  from  a  point  farther  to  the 
east;  nor  is  the  question  important.  Professor  Henry 
P.  Johnston,  whose  study  of  the  action  on  Harlem 
Heights  has  been  exhaustive,  says  in  this  connection: 

It  is  enough  to  know  that  when  we  hear  of  them  [the  Rangers] 
a  httle  later,  they  were  at  the  most  important  point  on  the 
enemy's  front.  We  find  them  stirring  up  their  pickets  on  the 
left,  that  left  which  rested,  as  we  have  seen,  somewhere  on 
the  Bloomingdale  Road,  not  far  above  Apthorpe's  (91st  Street), 
between  which  and  our  pickets  at  the  Hollow  Way  (Manhat- 
tanville)  intervened  the  wooded  and  rolling  ground  of  the  two 
farms  on  Morningside  Heights. 

That  wooded  and  rolling  ground  covered  the  enemy 
and  concealed  his  possible  movements  on  the  western 


176 


The  Ihulson  River 


or  North  River  side  of  the  island.  That  was  the 
reason  for  dispatching  Knowlton  and  his  Rangers. 

At  io6th  Street,  west  of  the  Boulevard,  upon  a 
knoll,  stood  the  stone  farmhouse  of  Nicholas  Jones. 
The  reconnoitring  party  reached  this  place  about  sun- 
rise and  appear  to  have  used  it  as  a  cover,  advancing 
cautiously,  in  the  manner  that  many  of  the  American 
recruits  had  learned  in  Indian  warfare. 

They  had  barely  passed  the  farmhouse  when  they 
were  discovered  by  the  British  pickets  and  a  sharp 
skirmish  ensued.  The  Rangers  were  composed  of  Con- 
necticut men,  and  they  still  smarted  under  the  taunts 
of  cowardice  that  must  have  been  their  portion  after 
the  ]3anic  and  retreat  of  the  15th.  The  honour  of  Con- 
necticut was  smirched  and  the  Rangers,  picked  men, 
w^ere  eager  to  remove  that  stain. 

But  the  odds  against  them  were  too  great,  and  after 
holding  their  ground  valiantly  for  a  while,  losing  about 
ten  men,  they  fell  back,  the  line  of  their  retreat  being 
along  the  old  Bloomingdale  road  "As  it  was  subse- 
quentl}^  extended  through  Manhattan ville  to  the  Kings- 
bridge  road  above." 

Close  to  where  Columbia  University  and  Barnard 
College  now  stand  the  British  light  troops  pushed 
the  Rangers  till  they  reached  the  site  of  Grant's  tomb, 
where  they  halted.  Beyond  that  point  the  ground 
was  probably  more  open  and  the  pursuers  could  get  a 
view  of  General  Greene's  force;  but  they  sent  after  the 
retreating  Connecticut  men  a  message  that  made  their 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  177 


very  ears  tingle.  The  bugle  rang  out  the  notes  of  the 
fox-chase,  a  call  which  to  the  men  of  that  day  needed 
no  interpreter.  As  the  trees  and  rocks  echoed  back  those 
derisive  notes  it  seemed  as  if  the  cup  of  humiliation  had 
been  drained  to  its  dregs. 

How  many  of  the  King's  troops  joined  in  that  pur- 
suit is  not  definitely  known.  At  the  first  sound  of  the 
firing  the  Second  and  Third  Battalions  of  Light  In- 
fantry, with  the  Forty-second  Highlanders,  began  to 
move  up;  and  it  is  probable  that  Knowlton  and  his 
Rangers  did  not  retire  till  these  reinforcements  com- 
menced to  appear  upon  the  scene. 

Washington,  on  the  other  hand,  put  Spencer's  and 
Putnam's  men  in  readiness  along  the  line  of  147th 
Street,  where  they  seem  to  have  been  immediately 
engaged  in  throwing  up  earthworks.  It  is  doubtful  if 
General  Putnam  could  have  rested  for  half  an  hour  in 
any  position  without  leaving  something  in  the  nature 
of  a  redoubt  to  mark  the  spot. 

Adjutant- General  Reed,  who  joined  Knowlton  be- 
fore the  retreat,  reported  the  affair  to  Washington,  ask- 
ing for  reinforcements.  The  Commander-in-chief  was 
then  upon  the  brow  overlooking  Manhattanville  (the 
"  Hollow  Way ' ')  from  the  north.  He  then,  we  are  told, 
"  conceived  the  project,  not  of  driving  the  light  in- 
fantry back  to  their  camp,  but  of  entrapping  them  in 
the  Hollow  Way." 

The  plan  was  to  make  a  feint  in  front  of  the  enemy 
and  induce  him  to  advance  into  the  valley  by  the 


178 


The  Hudson  River 


prospect  perhaps  of  another  "fox-ehase,"  while  a 
flanking  movement,  led  by  Knowlton  and  his  Rangers, 
reinforced  by  Major  Leitch  with  a  detachment  of 
Virgmians,  was  arranged  to  close  upon  the  British  rear. 

The  feigned  attack,  however,  developed  into  some- 
thing more  than  was  anticipated  and  in  the  skirmish 
that  ensued  the  position  of  the  light  infantry  was 
changed  so  that  when  Knowlton  and  Leitch,  ignorant 
of  the  new  disposition  of  the  troops,  closed  with  their 
foe,  they  engaged  him  upon  the  flank  instead  of  the 
rear.  The  place  where  this  flank  attack  occurred  has 
been  located  at  123d  Street,  east  of  the  Boulevard. 

The  Connecticut  men,  then  and  throughout  the  day, 
retrieved  their  honour,  fighting  like  veterans,  and  for 
the  first  time  driving  the  seasoned  troops  of  the  King 
before  them.  It  must  have  been  a  novel  sensation  for 
both  parties.  But  both  the  Rangers  and  the  Virginians, 
their  companions  and  equals  in  courage  that  day,  lost 
their  commanders  early  in  the  action. 

Colonel  Knowlton  and  Major  Leitch  w^ere  mortally 
hurt,  within  ten  minutes  of  each  other,  the  former 
being  shot  through  the  head  and  surviving  only  a  short 
time  after  being  carried  from  the  field. 

The  firing  brought  up  Leslie's  reserves  and  Wash- 
ington again  reinforced  his  soldiers.  From  a  skirmish, 
a  "  mere  affair  of  outposts,"  the  action  rapidly  assumed 
the  proportion  of  a  battle.  By  noon  Putnam,  Knox, 
and  Reed,  with  other  American  officers,  were  very 
actively  engaged  and  reinforcements  of  Highlanders 


The  Island  and  the  River  in  1776  179 

and  Hessians  were  being  hurried  to  the  reHef  of  their 
distressed  companions  in  arms. 

The  Hessians,  according  to  the  report  of  one  of  their 
own  officers,  fought  till  they  had  no  ammunition  left 
and  the  Highlanders  had  fired  away  their  last  shot, 
but  still  the  Americans  showed  no  sign  of  flinching. 
General  Greene's  Connecticut  men  encountered  the  foe 
on  the  hill  where  the  Lawrence  mansion  afterwards 
stood  and  gave  an  excellent  account  of  themselves. 
Other  detachments  were  engaged  in  various  parts  of 
a  field  that  embraced  woodland,  hill,  and  valley.  The 
centre  of  the  battle  was  in  a  buckwheat  field  that  ap- 
pears to  have  been  midway  betw^een  Columbia  Univer- 
sity and  Grant's  tomb.  The  main  engagement  lasted 
from  eleven  o'clock  till  about  half-past  two,  and  was 
participated  in  by  more  than  four  thousand  out  of  the 
eight  thousand  men  comprising  the  x\merican  army, 
while  a  superior  body  of  British  opposed  them. 

The  American  forces  were  completely  victorious, 
finally  chasing  the  King's  troops  down  a  hill  and  being 
recalled  with  difficulty  by  order  of  the  Commander-in- 
chief. 

This  necessarily  brief  account  of  the  famous  battle 
of  Harlem  Heights  has  followed  what  seems  to  be  the 
most  rational  exposition  of  the  perplexing  and  fre- 
quently contradictory  records  that  have  reached  us. 
It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  for  many  years  no 
effort  was  made  to  fix  beyond  question  the  scene  of 
this  important  engagement.    That  it  was  important 


The  Hudson  River 


a  glance  at  the  eorrespondenee  of  the  time  will  show. 
The  Amerieans,  reeently  disheartened  by  defeat,  found 
their  confidenee  restored  and  the  British  had  received 
a  wholesome  check  that  influenced  many  a  subsequent 
plan. 


Chapter  XII 


Forts  Washington  and  Lee 

FOR  a  month  after  the  battle  of  Harlem  Heights 
the  Americans  held  possession  of  the  northern 
end  of  the  island,  with  the  works  they  had 
erected  there. 

There  were  three  main  lines  in  the  Heights.  The 
first  was  at  147th  Street,  the  second,  with  four  redoubts, 
along  153d  to  155th  Street,  and  the  third,  incomplete 
and  with  no  redoubts,  was  at  i6ist  Street. 

Mount  Washington,  as  it  was  then  called,  was  sub- 
stantially fortified,  the  defences  there  covering  several 
acres  between  what  are  now  i8ist  and  i86th  Streets. 
The  armament  of  this  citadel  consisted  of  thirty-two 
pieces  of  heavy  ordnance.  Besides  these  fortifications 
the  neighbouring  heights  from  Manhattanville  to 
Kingsbridge  were  the  sites  of  several  earthworks,  the 
whole  constituting  a  formidable  system,  to  assail  which, 
after  the  disastrous  attempt  of  September  i6th,  the 
British  commander  naturally  hesitated. 

At  the  point  known  as  Jeffrey's  Hook,  that  juts  into 
the  river  at  the  base  of  Mount  Washington,  a  redoubt 

had  been  built  to  cover  the  famous  structure  of  sunken 

181 


The  Hudson  River 


vessels  and  floating  bombs  that  General  Putnam  had 
bestowed  so  much  labour  and  ingenuity  upon.  One 
needs  only  to  inspect  the  river,  or  even  a  good  map 
of  it,  to  be  convinced  that  if  a  reasonable  hope  of  con- 
trolling navigation  from  any  point  below  the  High- 
lands could  be  entertained,  this  was  the  ])lace.  The 
river  between  Forts  Washington  and  Lee  is  narrow  and 
is  commanded  upon  both  banks  by  high  hills. 

But  the  stream  is  swift  and  deep,  as  well  as  narrow, 
and  the  task  of  obstructing  it  was  by  no  means  as  light 
a  one  as  at  first  glance  it  might  appear.  Then,  too,  the 
necessity  of  retaining  possession  of  the  shores  in  order 
to  make  the  blockade  effectual  would  demand  the 
presence  of  a  large  force.  The  whole  of  Washington's 
army  was  not  too  large  for  this  work,  yet  it  would  have 
been  manifestly  absurd  to  contemplate  the  retention 
of  the  arm}'  for  such  a  purpose. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  policy  which  led  to  an 
effort  to  hold  this  natural  gateway  after  the  retirement 
of  the  Americans  from  the  city  was  strongly  urged  by 
Congress;  nor  must  we  forget,  in  criticising  the  military 
judgment  of  Washington,  that  an  almost  irresistible 
pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  in  this  matter 
by  the  civil  authorities  as  well  as  by  the  counsel  of  his 
own  officers. 

The  security  of  the  Hudson  [says  Irving],  was  at  this  time  an 
object  of  great  soUcitude  with  Congress,  and  much  reHance  was 
placed  on  Putnam's  obstructions  at  Fort  AVashington.  Four 
galleys,  mounted  with  heavy  guns  and  swivels,  were  stationed 


Forts  Washington  and  Lee 


183 


at  the  chevaiix-dc-frise,  and  two  new  ships  were  at  hand,  which, 
filled  with  stones,  were  to  be  sunk  where  they  would  block  up 
the  channel.  A  sloop  was  also  at  anchor,  having  on  board  a 
machine,  invented  by  a  Mr.  Bushnell,  for  submarine  explosion, 
with  which  to  blow  up  the  men-of-war;  a  favourite  scheme 
w^ith  General  Putnam.  The  obstructions  were  so  commanded 
by  batteries  on  each  shore  that  it  was  thought  no  hostile  ship 
would  be  able  to  pass. 

On  the  9th  of  October,  however,  the  Roebuck  and 
Plicemx,  each  of  forty-four  guns,  and  the  Tartar,  of 
twenty  guns,  which  had  been  lying  for  some  time  oppo- 
site Bloomingdale,  got  under  way  with  their  three  ten- 
ders, at  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  came  standing 
up  the  river  with  an  easy  southern  breeze.  At  their 
approach,  the  galleys  and  the  two  ships  intended  to 
be  sunk  got  under  way  with  all  haste,  as  did  a  schooner 
laden  with  rum,  sugar,  and  other  supplies  for  the 
American  army,  and  the  sloop  with  Bushnell's  sub- 
marine machine. 

The  Roebuck,  Phoenix,  and  Tartar  broke  through  the 
vaunted  barriers  as  through  a  cobweb.  Seven  batteries 
kept  a  constant  fire  upon  them,  yet  a  gentleman  was 
observed  walking  the  deck  of  the  second  ship  as  coolly 
as  if  nothing  were  the  matter.  Washington,  indeed, 
in  a  letter  to  Schuyler,  says,  "They  passed  without 
any  kind  of  damage  or  interruption;  but  Lord  Howe 
reports  to  the  Admiralty  that  they  suffered  much  in 
their  masts  and  rigging  and  that  a  lieutenant,  two 
midshipmen,  and  six  men  were  killed  and  eighteen 
wounded. ' ' 


The  Hudson  River 


The  attempt  to  eom])lete  the  ol:)structions  occupied, 
it  would  seem,  a  considerable  portion  of  Washington's 
attention  in  the  weeks  that  intervened  between  the 
battle  of  Harlem  Heights  and  that  of  White  Plains. 
He  ordered  that  two  hulks  which  lay — as  hulks  still 
lie — in  Spuyten  Du\^\^il  creek,  be  ballasted  and  sunk, 
and  that  others  that  had  grounded  near  Yonkers  be 
brought  down  and  consigned  to  a  similar  use. 

A  council  of  officers,  called  by  the  commander,  dis- 
cussed the  question  of  attempting  to  retain  the  posi- 
tion occupied  by  the  American  army  upon  Manhattan 
Island,  and  it  was  decided — with  only  the  voice  of 
General  Clinton  raised  in  dissent — to  abandon  all  the 
works  with  the  exception  of  Fort  Washington.  This 
fort  was  to  be  retained  as  long  as  possible  in  com- 
pliance with  the  resolution  passed  by  Congress. 

A  garrison  that  was  large  if  measured  by  the  loss  its 
subtraction  occasioned  the  little  army,  but  absurdly 
inadequate  for  the  work  expected  of  it,  was  left  under 
command  of  Colonel  Magaw,  to  whom  Washington 
gave  a  solemn  injunction  to  defend  it  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity. It  was  at  this  time  that  the  name  of  Fort 
Constitution  was  changed  to  Fort  Lee,  and  the  com- 
mand of  that  post  given  to  General  Greene. 

The  series  of  moves  by  which  Washington  foiled 
Howe's  attempt  to  get  in  his  rear  and  the  resulting 
battle  of  White  Plains  are  not  part  of  the  story  of 
the  river  and  must  not  be  dwelt  upon  here.  At  the 
time  when  the  assault  upon  Chatterton's  hill  was  about 


Forts  Washington  and  Lee  185 


to  be  made  the  distant  thundering  of  cannon  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Manhattan  startled  the  contestants. 
Two  of  the  enemy's  war-ships  had  anchored  at  Bur- 
dett's  Ferry,  a  short  distance  below  the  forts,  with  the 
evident  purpose  of  cutting  communication  between 
the  island  and  the  mainland,  by  stopping  the  ferry. 
At  the  same  time  British  troops  appeared  on  Harlem 
plains.  When  the  lines  in  that  direction  were  manned 
by  Americans  from  the  forts,  the  vessels  opened  fire, 
attempting  to  dislodge  them,  but  an  eighteen-pound 
gun  on  the  Manhattan  side  and  two  on  the  Jersey  shore 
returned  their  fire  and  hulled  them  repeatedly,  so  that 
they  were  glad  to  drop  dowm  the  river. 

On  the  night  of  the  4th  of  November  and  for  three 
days  afterwards  the  British  army  was  moving  from 
White  Plains  to  Dobbs  Ferry,  with  what  ultimate 
object  could  only  be  a  matter  of  anxious  conjecture  to 
the  American  leader.  Washington  wrote  to  General 
William  Livingston: 

They  have  gone  towards  the  North  River  and  King's  Bridge. 
Some  suppose  they  are  going  into  winter  quarters,  and  will  sit 
down  in  Xew  York  without  doing  more  than  investing  Fort 
Washington.  I  cannot  subscribe  wholly  to  this  opinion  myself. 
That  they  will  invest  Fort  Washington,  is  a  matter  of  which 
there  can  be  no  doubt ;  and  I  think  there  is  a  strong  probability 
that  General  Howe  will  detach  a  part  of  his  force  to  make  an 
incursion  into  the  Jerseys,  provided  he  is  going  to  New  York. 
He  must  attempt  something  on  account  of  his  reputation,  for 
what  has  he  done  as  yet,  with  his  great  army? 

While  still  in  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  manoeu- 
vre, Washington  received  news  of  the  peril  of  the 


i86 


The  Hudson  River 


garrison  on  Manhattan.  Threatened  by  Lord  Percy  with 
a  large  body  of  troops  at  the  south,  and  by  Knyphausen 
between  the  Fort  and  Kingsbridge,  Colonel  Magaw 
and  his  command  were  in  a  serious  position.  As 
though  to  add  a  feature  of  discouragement  to  the 
situation  by  proving  the  futility  of  attempting  to 
control  the  river,  a  frigate  and  two  transports  broke 
through  the  chevaux-de-jrise  with  supplies  for  Howe  s 
army  at  Dobbs  Ferry. 

Washington  wrote  to  Greene,  upon  the  receipt  of 
these  tidings: 

If  we  cannot  prevent  vessels  from  passing  up  the  river,  and  the 
enemy  are  possessed  of  all  the  surrounding  country,  what  val- 
uable purpose  can  it  answer  to  hold  a  post  from  which  the 
expected  benefit  cannot  be  had?  I  am,  therefore,  inclined  to 
think,  that  it  will  not  be  prudent  to  hazard  the  men  and  stores 
at  Mount  Washington;  but,  as  you  are  on  the  spot,  I  leave  it 
to  you  to  give  such  orders  as  to  evacuating  Mount  Washington 
as  you  may  judge  best,  and  so  far  revoking  the  orders  given  to 
Colonel  Magaw,  to  defend  it  to  the  last. 

Further  instructions  were  sent  to  Greene,  directing 
the  removal  of  superfluous  stores,  etc.,  anticipating  an 
attack  upon  Fort  Lee  upon  the  Jersey  side.  But 
Greene  could  not  admit  the  wisdom  of  abandoning 
Magaw's  position.    In  this  connection  Irving  says: 

He  did  not  consider  the  fort  in  immediate  danger.  Colonel 
Magaw  thought  it  would  take  the  enemy  until  the  end  of  Decem- 
ber to  carry  it.  In  the  meantime  the  garrison  could  at  any 
time  be  brought  off  and  even  the  stores  removed,  should  matters 
grow  desperate. 


Forts  Washington  and  Lee 


187 


From  his  camp  at  Northcastle,  to  which  he  had 
removed  after  White  Plains,  Washington  made  a 
hurried  march  to  Peekskill,  on  November  loth.  i\fter 
making  a  miUtary  visit  to  the  Highland  posts,  recon- 
noitring in  company  with  Generals  Heath,  Clinton, 
and  others,  and  directing  the  disposition  of  the  various 
bodies  of  troops,  he  crossed  the  Hudson  below  Stony 
Point  with  a  force  which  was  to  find  its  way  to  Hack- 
ensack  by  a  pass  in  the  Ramapo  Mountains. 

The  commander  took  a  more  direct  route  to  Fort  Lee. 
Arriving  there  on  the  13th,  he  found  that  Fort  Wash- 
ington, which  was  the  immediate  object  of  his  solici- 
tude, instead  of  being  evacuated  had  on  the  contrary 
been  reinforced  by  General  Greene,  who  had  made  the 
most  of  the  discretionary  clause  in  his  chief  s  letter. 
Both  Greene  and  Magaw  believed  that  the  Fort  might 
be  successfully  defended. 

Why  Washington,  who  acknowledged  that  the  use- 
lessness  of  this  post  had  been  demonstrated  and  whose 
judgment  required  its  evacuation,  permitted  the  repre- 
sentations of  his  officers  to  outweigh  his  own  saner 
conclusions  has  never  been  explained.  For  several 
days  he  remained  in  the  neighbourhood,  awaiting 
developments. 

Upon  the  15th,  two  months  to  a  day  after  the  hurried 
evacuation  of  New  York  by  Putnam  s  hard-pressed 
columns,  Howe  sent  Magaw  a  summons  to  surrender. 
The  latter  answered  in  somewhat  stilted  but  unequivocal 
English  that,  "Actuated  by  the  most  glorious  cause 


The  Hudson  River 


that  mankind  ever  fought  in,  I  am  determined  to  defend 
this  post  to  the  very  last  extremity." 

Greene,  across  the  river,  dispatched  a  rider  to 
Washington  with  the  intelHgence  of  Magaw's  peril; 
and  sent  reinforcements  to  the  Colonel,  who  was  now 
menaced  on  three  sides  by  the  enemy. 

It  was  nightfall  [says  Irving]  when  Washington  arrived  at 
Fort  Lee.  Greene  and  Putnam  were  over  at  the  besieged  fort- 
ress. He  threw  himself  into  a  boat  and  had  partly  crossed  the 
river,  when  he  met  those  generals  returning.  They  informed 
him  of  the  garrison's  having  been  reinforced  and  assured  him 
that  it  was  in  high  spirits  and  capable  of  making  a  good  defence. 
It  was  with  difficulty,  however,  that  they  could  prevail  on  him 
to  return  with  them  to  the  Jersey  shore,  for  he  was  excessively 
excited. 

Less  discreet  historians  than  Irving  have  not  hesi- 
tated to  say  that  the  Father  of  his  Country  on  that 
occasion  expressed  his  excitement  in  language  of  much 
greater  vigour  than  is  countenanced  by  polite  custom. 
In  other  words,  this  is  believed  to  have  been  one  of  the 
rare  occasions  upon  which  Washington  swore.  And 
certainly,  if  there  was  ever  an  excuse  for  profane  in- 
vective, he  could  plead  it  at  that  time.  Besides  Magaw 
there  were  Cadwalader,  Rawlings,  Baxter,  and  other 
officers  of  merit  at  the  beleaguered  fort,  together  with  a 
force  of  about  two  thousand  picked  men,  the  flower  of 
the  army ;  while  opposed  to  them  was  an  overwhelming 
force  of  British  regulars  and  German  hirelings,  bred  to 
the  trade  of  war. 

Lossing  has  given  an  anecdote  that  does  not  seem 


Forts  Washington  and  Lee  189 

to  have  any  substantial  basis  of  fact,  but  is  offered  here 
at  its  worth: 

The  chief  crossed  the  river  with  Generals  Putnam,  Greene, 
and  Mercer,  and  made  his  way  stealthily  to  the  house  of  Roger 
Morris,  in  which  he  had  had  his  headquarters  a  few  weeks  before. 
From  the  Morris  house,  a  mile  south  of  ^^lount  Washington,  the 
chief  made  a  hurried  survey  of  the  field  of  operations  when  a 
young,  small,  and  very  pretty  vivandiere ,  the  wife  of  a  Pennsyl- 
vania soldier,  who  had  followed  the  chief  like  a  guardian  angel, 
from  the  river,  came  up  reverently  and  touched  him  on  the  arm 
and  whispered  in  his  ear.  Washington  immediately  ordered 
his  companions  into  the  saddle  and  they  galloped  back  to  their 
boats.  Fifteen  minutes  later  a  British  regiment  which  had 
been  creeping  stealthily  like  a  serpent  up  the  rocky  acclivity, 
appeared  at  the  mansion. 

This  story  has  a  strongly  apocryphal  flavour. 

From  Fort  Lee  the  Chief  saw  the  greater  part  of  the 
attack  upon  Fort  A¥ashington  and  his  spirits  were 
alternately  raised  and  depressed  by  the  varying  for- 
tunes of  the  fray.  The  battle  commenced  about  noon, 
with  General  Knyphausen  s  division  attacking  from  the 
north,  General  Mathew  advancing  from  the  Harlem 
River  and  Lord  Percy  trying  to  force  the  lines  gallantly 
held  by  Colonel  Cadwalader,  two  miles  and  a  half  south 
of  the  fort. 

Much  of  the  action  w^as  hidden  from  the  watcher 
across  the  river  by  intervening  hills  and  woods,  but  the 
gallant  defence  made  by  Cadwalader 's  eight  hundred 
Pennsylvanians  against  double  their  number  of  English 
and  Hessians  was  in  open  view.  Eagerly  the  Chief 
directed  his  glass  to  that  quarter. 


The  Hudson  River 


Nothing  [says  Irving]  encouraged  him  more  tlian  the  gallant 
style  in  which  Cadwalader  with  an  inferior  force  maintained  his 
position.  When  he  saw  him,  however,  assailed  in  tlank,  tlie  line 
broken  and  his  troops,  overpowered  by  numbers,  retreating  to 
the  fort,  he  gave  up  the  game  as  lost.  The  worst  sight  of  all 
was  to  behold  his  men  cut  down  and  bayoneted  by  the  Hessians 
while  begging  quarter.  It  is  said  so  completely  to  have  over- 
come him  that  he  wept  "with  the  tenderness  of  a  child." 

By  the  hands  of  a  daring  messenger  Washington 
managed  to  get  a  note  to  Magaw,  telHng  him  that  if 
he  could  hold  out  till  night,  he  would  then  endeavour 
to  bring  off  the  garrison.  The  messenger  was  one 
Captain  Gooch,  of  Boston,  whose  intrepidity  reminds 
one  of  some  mighty  deed  from  the  sagas.  General 
Heath  is  authority  for  the  following  account  of  his 
adventure : 

He  ran  down  to  the  river,  jumped  into  a  small  boat,  pushed 
over  the  river,  landed  under  the  bank,  ran  up  to  the  fort  and 
delivered  the  message,  came  out,  ran  and  jumped  over  the 
broken  ground,  dodging  the  Hessians,  some  of  wiiom  struck 
at  him  with  their  pieces  and  others  attempted  to  thrust  him 
with  their  bayonets;  escaping  through  them,  he  got  to  his  boat 
and  returned  to  Fort  Lee. 

But  Magaw  found  it  impossible  to  hold  out.  Already 
the  summons  to  surrender  had  been  made,  and  found 
him  surrounded  by  troops  that  had  been  driven  in  from 
all  sides  by  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy.  The 
fortress  was  so  filled  with  men  that  movement  was 
difficult  and  further  defence  impossible.  Fort  Wash- 
ington was  therefore  siuTendered. 

Thus  ended  the  American  occupancy  of  Manhattan 


Forts  Washington  and  Lee 


191 


Island.  Washington 's  own  reflections  upon  the  closing 
scene,  given  in  a  letter  to  his  brother  Augustine,  will 
throw  much  light  upon  the  difficulties  that  beset  him, 
and  his  frame  of  mind  regarding  an  action  against  which 
his  better  judgment  rebelled. 

This  is  a  most  unfortunate  affair  and  has  given  me  great 
mortification;  as  we  have  lost,  not  only  two  thousand  men, 
that  were  there,  but  a  good  deal  of  artillery,  and  some  of  the  best 
arms  we  had.  And  what  adds  to  my  mortification  is,  that  this 
post,  after  the  last  ships  went  past  it,  was  held  contrary  to  my 
wishes  and  opinion,  as  I  conceived  it  to  be  a  hazardous  one:  but 
it  having  been  determined  on  by  a  full  council  of  general  officers, 
and  a  resolution  of  Congress  having  been  received,  strongly 
expressive  of  their  desire  that  the  channel  of  the  river  which  we 
had  been  labouring  to  stop  for  a  long  time  at  that  place,  might 
be  obstructed,  if  possible;  and  knowing  that  this  could  not  be 
done,  unless  there  were  batteries  to  protect  the  obstructions,  I 
did  not  care  to  give  an  absolute  order  for  withdrawing  the  garri- 
son, till  I  could  get  around  and  see  the  situation  of  things;  and 
then  it  became  too  late,  as  the  place  was  invested.  Upon  the 
passing  of  the  last  ships,  I  had  given  it  as  my  opinion  to  General 
Greene,  under  whose  care  it  was,  that  it  would  be  best  to  evacu- 
ate the  place;  but,  as  the  order  was  discretionary,  and  his 
opinion  differed  from  mine,  it  was  unhappily  delayed  too  long, 
to  my  great  grief. 

The  abandonment  of  Fort  Lee  was  of  course  a  fore- 
gone conclusion  as  soon  as  the  enemy  was  in  possession 
of  Fort  Washington.  This  movement  was  hastened 
by  the  appearance  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  of  six 
thousand  British  troops  under  Lord  Cornwallis.  These 
crossed  on  a  rainy  night  and  established  themselves 
under  the  line  of  the  Palisades,  five  or  six  miles  north 
of  Fort  Lee.    Extending  thence  with  the  evident 


192 


The  Hudson  River 


intention  of  forming  a  line  which  should  separate  the 
garrison  of  Fort  Lee  from  the  remainder  of  the  Ameri- 
can army,  their  manoeuvre  was  anticipated  by  Wash- 
ington's rapid  retreat  to  the  Hackensack. 

Artillery,  baggage,  tents,  and  camp  equipage  were 
abandoned.  Even  camp  kettles,  we  are  told,  were  on 
the  fires  when  the  British  made  their  uncontested 
entrance  into  Fort  Lee. 


Chapter  XIII 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers 


w 


HILE  we  have  been  deploring  the  passing 
of  the  white  wings,  Anthony  Van  Corlaer, 
— half  trumpeter,  half  myth, — has  delayed 


his  dro waning  in  the  wild  waters  of  Papuinemen,  wait- 
ing for  an  audience.  He  deserves  a  W agner,  who  might 
do  him  j ustice .  Anthony  the  Trumpeter  was  dispatched 
on  a  warlike  mission  to  the  Patroon  Van  Rensselaer, 
when  he  came  to  the  stream  that  forms  the  upper 
boundary  of  Manhattan  Island.  Warned  not  to  cross, 
he  still  persisted  in  advancing,  intending  to  gain  the 
other  shore  by  swimming.  ''Spuyt  den  Duyvil!"  he 
shouted,  "  I  will  reach  Shoraskappock. "  But  his  chal- 
lenge to  the  Duyvil  was  unfortunately  his  last  recorded 
utterance,  as  at  that  moment  his  Satanic  Majesty,  in 
the  form  of  an  enormous  moss  bunker,  took  him  at  his 
word  and  tried  conclusions  then  and  there. 

That  was  the  end  of  Anthony  the  Trumpeter,  but 
the  phrase  that  he  is  supposed  to  have  originated  is 
repeated  about  a  thousand  times  a  day  by  trainmen 
on  the  railroad,  who  have  no  idea  of  invoking  Satanic 
interference  with  their  duties. 


194 


rhc  Hudson  River 


An  amusing  story  is  told  of  a  good  but  somewhat 
dull  woman  who  asked  a  neighbour  for  an  explanation 
of  the  strange  name  that  she  heard  shouted  into  the 
car  where  she  was  seated.  The  neighbour,  who  was 
none  other  than  Mr.  Benson  G.  Lossing,  related  the 
substance  of  the  legend  given  here.  As  he  proceeded 
his  listener  became  more  and  more  interested.  An 
expression  of  pity  and  sympathy  overflowed  her  eyes. 

Did  the  poor  man  leave  a  family?"  she  finally  asked. 

Upon  the  height  behind  Spuyten  Duyvil  there  is  the 
place  of  an  old  redoubt  that  occupied  about  the  position 
of  the  Indian  stronghold  of  Nipnichsen.  A  little  way 
up  the  stream  the  Manor  Lord,  Frederick  Filipse, 
purchased  a  ferry  right  and  afterwards  erected  a  bridge 
with  a  toll  gate  between  the  island  and  the  main  shore. 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  creek  occurred,  in  the  early 
fifties,  one  of  the  most  dreadful  of  the  steamboat  dis- 
asters of  which  the  history  of  the  Hudson  presents  not 
a  few:  it  was  the  burning  of  the  Henry  Clay,  which  is 
more  fully  noticed  in  another  chapter. 

The  earliest  historic  account  that  associates  the 
white  discoverers  with  Spuyten  Duyvil  dtaes  Sep- 
tember, 1609.  Henry  Hudson,  or  his  scribe,  Master 
Juet,  records  a  fight  which  he  had  at  this  place  with 
some  Indians  who  came  out  in  their  canoes  and  attacked 
the  Half  Moon  with  arrows.  The  yacht  of  the  discov- 
erer was  at  the  time  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek. 

Here  w^as  the  gathering  place  for  the  Indians  who 
menaced  Manhattan  in  colonial  days.    Here  nearly  a 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers  195 

thousand  braves  came  together  and  threatened  to 
destroy  New  Amsterdam,  during  Governor  Stuyve- 
sant's  absence  in  the  South.  The  frightened  burghers 
of  the  httle  city  took  to  the  forts  Hke  rabbits  to  their 
burrows,  for  they  had  tasted  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
Mohawks  and  other  redskin  neighbours. 

During  the  Revolution,  Spuyten  Duyvil  was  regarded 
as  an  important  point  and  the  heights  were  fortified. 
The  road  which  ran  about  the  base  of  the  hill  was  the 
scene  of  many  a  wild  foray  and  the  echoing  hillsides 
resounded  with  the  shouts  of  marauding  cattle  thieves 
and  the  lowing  of  frightened  herds,  urged  towards  the 
lines  by  their  reckless  drivers. 

Now  the  mouth  of  the  creek  is  shut  by  a  drawbridge 
and  the  northern  shore  is  a  place  of  division  between 
the  passenger  and  freight  trains  of  the  New  York 
Central  Railroad,  the  former  swinging  inland  to  take 
the  course  by  way  of  Kingsbridge,  along  the  Harlem, 
and  the  latter  still  following  the  original  line  of  the 
road,  by  the  river  shore. 

At  the  distance  of  two  or  three  miles  above  Spu^^ten 
Duyvil  appears  the  extensive  front  of  the  Mount  St. 
Vincent  Academy.  There  is  a  slight  incongruity  in 
the  view,  that  at  once  attracts  the  attention  of  a 
stranger;  for  the  foreground  is  occupied  by  a  stone 
''castle"  that  is  so  dwarfed  by  the  red  brick  edifice 
behind  it  as  to  appear  almost  like  a  toy  house.  But 
the  castle  has  a  history  of  its  own  and  presents  the 
first  if  not  the  chief  claim  to  notice. 


196 


The  Hudson  River 


Edwin  Forrest,  for  years  the  foremost  figure  upon 
the  stage  in  Ameriea,  buih  that  castle  for  his  home  and 
brought  his  bride,  who  had  been  the  beautiful  Miss 
Sinclair,  there  in  1838.  There  he  enjoyed  six  years 
of  something  as  nearh^  approaching  calm  and  happiness 
as  one  born  under  his  turbulent  star  could  ever  hope 
to  attain.  Within  those  blue  granite  walls  he  enter- 
tained bountifully  and  indulged  his  vehement  passion 
for  historic  study.  Then,  in  1844,  he  went  abroad, 
taking  his  wife  with  him.  Out  of  the  quiet  eddy  where 
he  had  found  rest  for  six  years  he  pushed  into  the 
turmoil  of  life,  never  to  return.  Domestic  troubles  in 
a  short  time  overwhelmed  him  and  his  rancorous 
quarrel  with  Macready  commenced,  that  culminated 
in  the  famous  Astor  Place  riots  in  New  York.  The 
celebrated  Forrest  divorce  suit  followed,  ending  in  the 
.  complete  separation  of  the  actor  from  his  wife. 

Not  caring  to  live  again  at  Fort  Hill,  as  he  called 
his  castle,  he  sold  it  to  the  sisters  of  the  Convent  of  St. 
Vincent,  who  w^ere  under  the  direction  of  Mother 
Superior  Mary  Angela  Hughes.  The  school  was  opened 
in  1859,  though  subsequently  much  enlarged. 

Although  Fort  Hill  looks  diminutive  under  the  im- 
posing wall  of  the  Mount  St.  Vincent  Academy,  yet 
the  tallest  tower  is  said  to  be  seventy  feet  in  height. 

From  the  Jersey  shore,  nearly  opposite,  the  wall  of 
the  Palisades  rises,  one  of  the  strange  and  imposing 
features  with  which  nature  sometimes  surprises  the 
geologist  and  puzzles  the  artist. 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers  197 


Fascinating,  if  not  beautiful  in  general  outline, 
wonderful  in  detail  and  often  exquisite  in  colour,  the 
great  mass  of  weather-beaten  rock  seems  to  rise  out 
of  the  very  bosom  of  the  river.  Deep  at  its  base  runs 
the  swift  current  of  the  channel  and  in  its  crowning 
belt  of  trees  the  clouds  drift. 

Here  and  there  in  the  wall  are  deep  rifts  cut  by  little 
torrents  that  have  been  industriously  mining  their  way 
for  centuries  past.  Taking  advantage  of  these  ravines, 
companies  of  trees  swarm  up  the  slopes  with  flaunting 
banners  of  green  that  in  the  autumn  change  to  royal 
hues  of  Tyrian  splendour. 

The  Palisades  are  seen  to  best  advantage  when  the 
sun  strikes  them  in  the  morning  or  the  long  shadows 
clothe  them  with  tender  mysterious  tints  at  nightfall. 

In  one  respect  our  enjoyment  of  this  feature  of  the 
river  is  greater  to-day  than  in  former  years,  because 
of  the  abatement,  by  law,  of  an  abuse.  Notice  what 
Professor  Archibald  Geikie,  the  celebrated  Scotch 
geologist,  wrote  thirty  years  ago : 

Hardly  is  the  traveller  out  of  New  York  than  he  notices  that 
every  natural  rock,  islet,  or  surface  of  any  kind  that  will  hold 
paint  is  disfigured  with  advertisements  in  huge  letters.  The 
ice-worn  bosses  of  gneiss  which,  rising  out  of  the  Hudson,  would 
in  themselves  be  such  attractive  objects  in  the  landscape,  are 
rendered  hideous  by  being  the  groundwork  on  which  some  kind 
of  tobacco,  or  tooth  wash,  or  stove  polish,  is  recommended  to 
the  notice  of  the  multitude. 

In  this  particular  a  great  change  for  the  better  has 
taken  place  along  the  river.    The  advertising  fiend  is 


19^  The  Hudson  Ri\  cr 


no  longer  ])erniittcd  to  disfigure  natural  seenery  with 
his  profane  brush.  But  the  advertising  man  was  not 
the  only  vandal,  nor  the  last. 

The  Palisades  range  in  height  from  two  hundred  and 
fifty  or  less  u])  to  five  hundred  feet.  The  latter 
elevation  is  near  the  northern  extremity,  opposite 
Hastings.  Taylorsville,  just  above  Fort  Lee.  is  two 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  tide. 

Opposite  Spuyten  Duyvil  is  the  pleavSant  residence 
village  of  Englewood,  aeross  from  Riverdale  is  the  pro- 
jection known  as  Clinton  Point,  and  opposite  Ludlow 
is  Huyler's  Landing.  The  place  where  Hudson  is  said 
to  have  anchored  on  the  13th  September,  1609,  is 
nearly  due  west  from  Dudley  s  Grove,  at  the  upper  end 
of  Yonkers. 

One  of  the  mutilated  landmarks  that  used  to  be  the 
pride  of  those  who  lived  near  the  banks  of  the  lower 
Hudson  was  the  jutting  shoulder  of  rock  knowm  as 
Indian  Head,  nearly  the  highest  point  of  the  Palisades. 
It  was  one  of  those  peculiarly  striking  features  in  nature 
that  persistently  claim  and  invariably  receive  the  con- 
sideration due  to  eminence.  No  one  seeing  the  rugged 
beauty  of  Indian  Head  could  forget  it  or  refuse  to  credit 
any  remarkable  or  romantic  legend  that  chanced  to  at- 
tach itself  there.  It  took  its  place,  without  question, 
in  every  sketch  or  photograph  of  that  part  of  the  river 
as  naturally  as  King  Edward  would  assume  in  England 
the  chief  place  at  any  official  function  at  which  he 
chanced  to  be  present.    There  is  a  divine  right  apper- 


( 


i 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers  201 

taining  to  headlands  and  other  remarkable  landscape 
features,  as  to  kings. 

But  one  day  a  contractor  saw  something  more  in 
Indian  Head  than  any  poet  or  artist  had  ever  seen. 
He  discerned  a  fortune  in  it, — a  fortune  in  gravel. 
Now  to  crush  a  headland — especially  a  headland  with 
associations  and  legends  belonging  to  it, — into  fine  frag- 
ments, for  road-beds,  may  seem  to  a  certain  class  of 
sentimental  people  to  be  rather  dreadful.  It  did  seem 
dreadful;  but  it  took  the  people  who  really  cared  so 
long  to  wake  up  to  the  dreadfulness  of  what  was  being 
done,  and  so  much  longer  to  discover  a  way  to  stop 
it,  that  before  they  could  do  anything  Indian  Head  was 
gravel. 

However,  the  people  succeeded,  though  apparently 
with  some  difficulty,  in  saving  the  rest  of  the  Palisades. 
The  blasting  and  crushing  processes  which  were  at 
once  an  offence  to  the  ear,  the  eye,  and  the  aesthetic 
sensibilities  of  all  good  people,  were  finally  interfered 
with  effectually  and  the  stone-crushers  removed  to 
other  fields. 

Years  ago  that  craggy  point  was  a  favourite  lookout 
station  for  the  red  men.  For  how  many  hundreds 
of  years  they  had  used  it,  no  one  can  ever  know,  but 
if  the  story  related  to  the  author  by  one  who  lived  in 
the  vicinity  and  had  a  curious  love  for  Indian  lore  can 
be  accepted  as  true,  then  the  immemorial  years  must 
have  rounded  almost  into  millenniums  between  the  time 
of  the  first  outlook  on  that  grey  old  crag  and  the  last. 


202 


The  Hudson  River 


The  story  is  this:  That  there  was  a  well-defined  ])ath 
worn  in  the  rock  and  leading  to  the  very  highest  point, 
and  there,  deeply  indented,  were  three  hollows,  such 
as  would  be  made  by  the  knees  and  hand  of  one  who 
was  kneeling  and  bent  a  little  forward.  The  narrator 
claimed  that  he  fell  naturally  into  that  attitude  in 
order  to  get  a  steady  and  restful  position  and  that  he 
noticed  that  his  knees  and  palm  fitted  into  the  depress- 
ions. It  is  possible  that  the  gentleman  may  have  been 
in  error  in  his  conclusions,  but  that  lonely  vidette, 
waiting  through  uncounted  centuries  for  the  appear- 
ance of  the  ship  of  destiny  that  must  at  last  arrive 
with  the  forerunner  of  the  white  conquerors,  appeals 
strongly  to  the  imagination. 

The  old  Dutch  voyagers  had  a  name  for  the  Pali- 
sades: "  Verdrietegh  Hoeck," — grievous  point,  because 
it  took  so  long  to  pass,  and  perhaps  for  another  reason: 
no  riverman  likes  to  be  becalmed  tmder  the  cliffs.  He 
may  be  lying  motionless  with  no  breath  of  air  to  stir 
a  sail;  when  suddenly — slap!  comes  a  "  knock-down " 
over  the  crest,  hitting  the  sails  before  it  touches  the 
water,  and  the  vessel  goes  down  before  she  can  get 
headway.  Verdrietegh  Hoeck  is  a  grievous  place  to 
be  caught. 

It  was  in  front  of  Nappeckamack  (that  is  now  Yon- 
kers),  that  the  Half  Moon  made  her  second  stop  after 
leaving  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It  was  on  the  12th  of 
September,  1609.  The  weather,  we  are  told,  was 
**  Faire  and  hot."    Master  Juet's^c'zrrua/  goes  on  to  say: 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers  203 


In  the  afternoon,  at  two  of  the  clocke,  wee  weighed,  the  winde 
being  variable,  between  the  north  and  northwest.  So  we  turned 
into  the  river  two  leagues,  and  anchored.  This  morning  at  our 
first  rode  in  the  River,  there  came  eight-and-twentie  canoes  full 
of  men,  women  and  children  to  betray  vs:  but  wee  saw  theire 
intent  and  suffered  none  of  them  to  come  abord  of  us.  At 
twelue  of  the  clocke  they  departed;  they  brought  with  them 
oysters  and  beanes,  whereof  wee  bought  some.  They  have  great 
tobacco  pipes  of  yellow  copper,  and  Pots  of  Earth  to  dresse 
their  meate  in. 

The  early  history  of  Yonkers  commences  with 
Adriaen  Van  der  Donk,  a  lawyer  from  Holland  who 
came  to  America  in  1641  as  sheriff  for  the  Patroon 
Van  Rensselaer,  at  Albany.  Van  der  Donk  was  a 
man  of  some  property  (which  he  increased  by  mar- 
riage) and  a  good  deal  of  ability.  His  ambition  to 
become  himself  a  Patroon  was  finally  gratified  by  the 
grant  of  the  lower  Weckquaskeek  region,  extending 
from  Spuyten  Duyvil  on  the  south  to  a  brook  nearly 
three  miles  above  the  present  railroad  station.  The 
Company,  or  the  Company's  Director,  was  under  some 
obligations  to  Van  der  Donk,  it  is  said,  for  advances 
of  money;  and  land  grants  have  been  convenient  for 
discharging  obligations  of  that  sort  in  all  ages  of  the 
world. 

The  deed  named  the  tract  so  acquired  Nepper- 
haem"  ;  but  the  names  by  which  it  was  popularly 
known  to  the  Dutchmen  of  that  day  were  Coin  Donk, " 
or  the  Colony  of  Donk,"  and  De  Jonkheer's,"  or  the 
''Young  Lords,"  which  has  been  corrupted  into  Yon- 
kers.   This  grant  became  a  manor  in  1652  and  Van  der 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


Donk  was  its  Lord  for  three  years,  though  ])erha])S  he 
never  Hved  there.  He  became  involved  in  a  (juarrel 
with  Stuy\-esant  and  w^ent  to  Holland  with  a  remon- 
strance, but  was  beaten  by  the  doughty  Governor. 
He  left  no  impression  upon  the  land  over  which  he 
was  Lord  for  so  short  a  time.  Between  1681  and  1686 
Vredryk  or  Frederick  Flypse  or  Filipse  became  Lord 
of  a  manor  that  was  really  lordly,  a  domain  to  put  to 
shame  many  a  princeling's  patrimony.  His  various 
Indian  and  other  purchases,  confirmed  by  grants, 
finally  included  all  that  tract  of  land  lying  between 
the  Croton  River  and  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek, — from 
Kitchawan  to  Papuinemen.  When  his  first  wife  died, 
in  1690  or  '91,  he  married  the  daughter  of  Oloff  Van 
Cortlandt  and  widow^  of  John  Dervall,  who  brought 
him  a  fortune  of  considerable  extent  to  add  to  the 
eighty  thousand  guilders  which  made  him  already  the 
richest  man  in  the  Colonies.  All  of  his  estates  were 
confirmed  to  him  in  1693. 

He  was  actually  Lord  of  the  Manor,  with  baronial 
power.  From  1693  till  his  death  in  1702  his  country 
residence  was  probably  at  Tarry  town,  in  the  stone 
house — called  "Castle  Filipse" — that  he  built  there, 
and  that  has  been  going  slowly  but  surely  to  decay  up 
to  this  year  of  grace,  1902,  because  of  a  lack  of  public 
spirit  or  sentiment,  or  whatever  the  emotion  may  be 
that  moves  men  to  the  preservation  of  historic  land- 
marks. 

The  Philips  manor-house  at  Yonkers,  though  not 


i 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers  207 


so  old  as  the  ''castle"  at  Tarry  town,  is  a  much  more 
pretentious  dwelling.  It  became  the  home  of  the 
descendants  of  the  first  Sir  Frederick.  It  was  there 
that  the  wedding  of  the  beautiful  Mary  Philipse  took 
place.  Tradition  has  coupled  Washington's  name 
with  hers,  as  that  of  a  suitor,  but  there  is  certainly  no 
evidence  that  he  ever  proposed  marriage  to  her.  As 
already  stated,  she  married  his  former  companion  in 
arms,  Roger  Morris,  the  builder  of  the  old  "Jumel" 
mansion.  The  marriage,  which  took  place  in  January, 
1758,  was  a  magnificent  affair,  long  remembered 
throughout  the  country-side.  Among  the  traditions 
that  have  grown  about  the  event  is  one  to  the  effect 
that  in  the  midst  of  the  festivities  an  Indian  sooth- 
sayer made  an  oracular  statement  that  filled  the  bride  s 
heart  with  apprehension.  Standing  in  the  doorway, 
he  delivered  himself  in  this  wise:  "Your  possessions 
shall  pass  away  when  the  eagle  shall  despoil  the  lion." 
If  the  reader  wishes  to  take  a  grain  of  salt  with  that 
Indian  no  objection  will  be  made. 

All  of  the  central  portion  of  the  present  city  of 
Yonkers  was  purchased  in  181 3  by  Lemuel  Wells. 
This  estate,  having  the  Nepperhan  River  running 
through  the  middle  of  it  and  including,  among  other 
buildings,  the  Philips  manor-house,  had  previously 
been  acquired  by  Cornelius  P.  Low,  from  the  Com- 
missioners of  Forfeiture.  Mr.  Wells  bought  it  at 
public  auction  for  the  sum  of  $56,000.  At  that  date 
there  were  less  than  a  dozen  houses,  including  mills, 


208 


The  Hudson  River 


on  the  entire  estate  of  320  acres.  It  was  not  till  after 
the  death  of  Air.  Wells,  in  1842,  that  the  site  of  Yonkers 
began  to  be  built  u])()n.  The  operation  of  the  Hudson 
River  Railroad,  commencing  in  1849,  created  a  lively 
demand  for  property  in  that  convenient  locality,  and 
the  subsequent  growth  of  the  place  has  been  rapid. 
But  it  is  essentially  a  new  town.  Its  civic  history  is 
nearly  all  condensed  into  a  little  more  than  half  a 
century. 

Modern  Yonkers,  some  one  has  said,  is  the  child  of 
the  railroad.  As  lately  as  1841,  it  was,  according  to 
the  Rev.  Doctor  David  Cole,  an  insignificant  hamlet. 
In  1876  it  was  thus  described: 

A  few  miles  north  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  is  the  large  village  of 
Yonkers.  Thirty  years  ago  a  church,  a  few  indifferent  houses, 
a  single  sloop  at  a  small  wharf,  and  the  gray  walls  and  roof  of  a 
venerable  structure,  which  you  may  see  stretching  among  the 
trees  parallel  with  the  river,  comprised  the  whole  borough.  That 
building  is  the  Philipse  Manor  house,  now  occupied  for  municipal 
purposes  by  the  public  authorities  of  Yonkers. 

The  city  of  Van  der  Donk  and  Philipse  is  now  a 
thriving  one,  much  given  to  factories  and  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  busy  local  life ;  but  to  the  outsider  its  chief 
attraction  centres  about  the  names  of  a  few  eminent 
people  who  have  made  it  their  home. 

Foremost  among  these  appears  the  name  of  one  who 
for  years  was  looked  upon  as  the  natural  leader  of  one 
of  the  great  political  parties  of  the  land;  a  disciple  of 
Martin  Van  Buren;  one  who  had  received  the  highest 


From  Spuyten  Duyvil  to  Yonkers  209 


honour  in  the  gift  of  the  people  of  the  State  and  had 
been  a  candidate  for  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  nation. 
Samuel  Jones  Tilden  was  an  American  of  the  Americans. 
Born  in  an  old-fashioned  house  in  Columbia  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  which  four  generations  of  his  family  had  lived, 
he  passed  the  declining  years  of  his  busy  and  influential 
life  within  the  walls  of  "Graystone,"  his  substantial 
and  costly  home  at  Yonkers. 

His  house  is  situated  to  the  north  of  the  city  on  an 
elevated  plateau  and  is  massive  and  ample  rather  than 
ornate.  Its  granite  walls  and  Mansard  roof,  rising 
from  the  surrounding  verdure,  do  not  easily  pass  un- 
noticed in  the  general  view. 

But  if  we  accord  to  Mr.  Tilden  the  first  niche  in  the 
local  temple  of  fame,  we  would  not  leave  him  to  soli- 
tude. Somewhere  there  would  be  a  statue  to  Frederick 
Swartwout  Cozzens,  wine  merchant  and  author,  and 
the  friend  of  most  of  tfie  "Knickerbocker"  authors. 
His  Sparrowgrass  Papers,  originally  published  in  Piit- 
nanis  Magazine,  take  rank  among  the  classic  works 
of  American  humour.  The  author  of  Xothing  to  Wear 
is  also  claimed  proudly  by  Yonkers,  and  so  are  Doctor 
Wendell  Prime,  Mr.  T.  Astley  Atkins,  Doctor  Armitage, 
and  a  score  of  other  widely  known  people.^ 

Along  the  river  shore  the  towns  and  villages  are 
devouring  the  rural  scenery  and  replacing  its  natural 
charm  with  a  more  lively  human  interest:   but  still 

^  Since  the  above  went  to  press  Mr.  William  Allen  Butler,  the  author 
of  Nothing  to  Wear,  has  passed  away.  His  death  occurred  at  Yonkers 
on  September  gth,  1902. 


2  lO 


The  Hudson  River 


between  the  httle  centres  of  population  there  are  fra- 
grant miles  of  tree-shaded  banks  where  the  violets  and 
anemones  nod  in  the  spring  and  the  scarlet  s])ires  of  the 
cardinal  flower  hide  in  August  by  the  watercourses. 

Half  a  century  ago  Alfred  B.  Street  wrote  a  charac- 
teristic description  of  the  woodland  scenery  which  in 
his  day  formed  so  striking  a  feature  of  the  Hudson, 
and  which  even  now  in  many  places  challenges  the 
admiration  of  the  observer. 

.    .    .    Here  the  Spruce  thrusts  in 

Its  bristhng  plume,  tipped  with  its  pale  green  points 

The  scallop'd  beech  leaf  and  the  birch's,  cut 

Into  fine  ragged  edges,  interlace: 

While  here  and  there,  through  clefts,  the  laurel  lifts 

Its  snowy  chalices,  half  brimmed  with  dew. 


Chapter  XIV 


Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee 

THE  little  sea  that  expands  between  Haverstraw 
and  the  Palisades  is  a  rare  cruising  place  for 
ghosts  and  goblins.  There  is  not  a  shadowy 
hall  that  rounds  Piermont  or  tacks  across  from  the 
Slaperig  Hafen  to  the  Hoeck  but  is  freighted  deep 
with  legends. 

How  briefly  told,  yet  how  suggestive,  is  the  melan- 
choly history  of  Ramibout  Van  Dam,  the  unresting 
oarsman  that  some  witchery  compels  to  never-ending 
labour  upon  the  tides  of  the  Tappan  Zee !  He  was  one 
of  those  uneasy  Dutch  blades  that  counted  neither  dis- 
tance nor  labour  as  of  any  moment  when  a  pleasure 
was  in  view.  There  had  been  some  notice  or  rumour 
of  a  frolic  at  Kakiat,  a  secluded  hamlet  hidden  away 
among  the  hills  of  Rockland  County,  and  Van  Dam  on 
hearing  the  news  row^ed  from  his  home  at  Spuyten 
Duyvil  the  whole  length  of  the  Tappan  Zee  and  the 
Palisades  to  boot  in  order  to  be  there. 

Most  modern  youngsters  would  be  conscious  of  some 
slight  fatigue  after  such  a  pull,  but  not  so  delicate 
were  the  Dutchmen  of  that  early  day.  Rambout 

211 


2  1  2 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


danced  and  drank,  drank  and  danced  as  though  he 
had  had  no  exercise  for  a  week.  It  was  a  Saturday 
night,  and  midnight  came  and  passed  before  he  knew 
it.  But  when  he  started  for  home  soUcitous  companions 
warned  him  against  the  peril  of  sabbath-breaking;  for 
upon  all  matters  of  religious  observance  the  Nether- 
landers  were  exceedingly  punctilious.  A  young  man 
might  play  what  pranks  he  would  with  every  pretty 
girl  in  the  comity,  and  make  his  potations  of  apple- 
jack both  deep  and  frequent,  but  it  would  outrage  the 
sentiment  of  the  community  if  he  broke  the  Sabbath. 

But  Rambout  was  skin-full  of  recklessness,  and  dis- 
regarding every  warning,  he  pulled  off,  "swearing  that 
he  would  not  land  till  he  had  reached  Spuyten  Duyvil. " 
According  to  the  best  authorities  he  has  not  landed 
there  yet.  Whethei  li\'ing  or  dead,  none  can  say,  but 
doomed  to  a  perpetual  journey  across  the  river  he  un- 
doubtedly is,  for  many  a  boat-man  on  the  river  has 
heard  the  sound  of  his  oars,  and  more  than  one  damsel, 
being  rowed  o'  moonlit  nights  on  the  river,  has  clung 
in  terror  to  her  swain,  as  she  fancied  she  saw  in  the 
distance  the  shadowy  form  of  Rambout  Van  Dam. 

There  is  another  haunting  shape  that  occasionally 
troubles  these  waters ;  it  is  that  of  the  Storm-ship  that 
makes  mysterious  journeys,  never  heeding  shoal  or  head- 
land, tacking  when  the  wind  is  fair  and  running  free  in 
the  teeth  of  a  gale,  with  never  a  concession  to  any 
weather  that  mortals  give  heed  to.  Into  the  moon- 
light she  comes  suddenly,  from  some  unknown  quarter 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHMAN 


213 


Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee  215 


and  as  suddenly,  while  the  eye  is  fixed  upon  her,  van- 
ishes completely  as  a  bubble  that  floats  for  a  moment 
where  a  wave  has  broken,  and  then,  in  a  twinkling,  is 
dissipated. 

There  have  been  people  who  have  really  doubted 
the  existence  of  the  phantom  ship  and  class  it  with 
fabulous  monsters,  Brocken  spectres,  and  the  like:  but 
these  are  not  people  who  have  navigated  the  waters 
of  the  Tappan  Zee  at  night. 

Two  hundred  years  ago  the  Storm-ship  was  first  seen 
passing  New  Amsterdam,  going  up  the  stream  against 
a  strong  ebb  tide.  She  was  fiying  Dutch  colours  and 
her  sails  bellied  with  a  wind  that  certainly  was  not 
apparent  to  those  who  gazed  at  her,  wide-eyed  and 
whispering,  from  the  fort.  In  spite  of  the  trade 
regulations  that  forbade  the  passing  of  any  vessel  up 
the  river  without  a  permit,  regardless  of  signals  or 
challenge,  the  stranger  sailed  on.  Then  a  gun  was 
fired  from  the  battery,  but  her  hull  did  not  stop  the 
ball,  nor  did  the  ball  check  her  course. 

She  passed  on,  weathered  the  point  of  Jeffrey's  Hook, 
crossed  the  long  stretch  of  the  Grievous  Hook,  and  sailed 
out  of  sight  under  some  of  the  headlands  of  the  Tappan 
Zee.  From  that  day  to  this  no  one  has  seen  this  un- 
substantial stranger  sail  down  the  river,  past  Manhat- 
tan, and  out  to  sea.  But  many  a  time  the  rivermen 
have  encountered  her  and  with  a  muttered  invocation 
to  St.  Nicholas  have  shortened  sail,  knowing  that  a 
storm  was  soon  to  come. 


2l6 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


For  some  reason  the  Ta])])an  Zee  seems  to  have  l^een 
the  fa\'(nirite  eruisin<^-groun(l  for  this  barometric  craft 
since  her  first  adoption  of  the  Hudson;  and  even  to- 
da>',  when  least  expected,  her  strange,  tall  poop  and 
swellmg  sides  sometimes  are  seen  as  she  rounds  the 
tedious  shoulder  of  Point-no-Point,  or  steals  along 
shore  under  the  shadow  of  Kingsland's  Point.  Some 


HOOK  MOUNTAIN  FROM  NYACK 


believe  that  she  runs  for  anchorage  into  the  mouth  of 
the  Pocantico,  and  others  that  she  hides  near  the  pine- 
shaded  banks  of  the  Hafenje,  but  no  one  has  ever  seen 
her  at  rest.  She  is  always  flying  swiftly  before  a  wind 
that  mortals  cannot  feel. 

There  is  the  memory  of  another  craft,  more  sub- 
stantial than  the  phantom  ship,  and  more  successful 
in  attaining  a  port  than  Rambout's  boat,  that  made 
the  passage  of  the  river  between  Wolfert's  Roost  and 


Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee 


217 


the  Rockland  shore  in  1776.  Its  occupant  was  the 
dashing  soldier  and  arrant  lover,  Aaron  Burr. 

When  the  American  forces  were  near  White  Plains 
Burr  was  seized  with  a  desire  to  spend  an  evening  with 
the  fascinating  widow  Provost, — Theodosia  Provost, — 
who  then  lived  a  dozen  miles  back  towards  the  Ramapo 
Hills  on  the  other  side  of  the  Hudson. 

Riding  at  full  speed  along  Petticoat  Lane,  which  is 
the  old  road  between  White  Plains  and  Tarrytown, 
attended  by  several  of  his  devoted  troopers,  Burr 
reached  the  willow-shaded  little  bay  near  Sunnyside, 
while  the  night  was  still  young.  A  boat  was  waiting 
for  him,  and,  leaving  his  escort,  he  embarked,  horse  and 
all,  and  was  ferried  as  rapidly  and  as  silently  as  possible 
to  the  Rockland  shore,  where  he  remounted.  A  ride 
of  a  dozen  rough  miles,  at  night,  through  a  country 
picketed  by  the  enemy,  should  be  enough  to  try  the 
mettle  of  an  ordinary  lover.  But  Aaron  Burr  was  no 
ordinary  lover,  which  is  perhaps  the  reason  why  in  his 
generation  his  enemies  were  seldom  found  among  the 
gentler  sex.  History  discreetly  neglects  to  furnish  the 
details  of  the  courtship  that  we  know  ultimately  re- 
sulted in  the  winning  of  Theodosia 's  hand  and  heart. 

By  daybreak  horse  and  rider  were  back  within  the 
American  lines  and  no  one  but  the  troopers,  the  ferry- 
man, and  the  widow  knew  of  that  wild  trip. 

There  are  two  channels  in  this  part  of  the  river,  one 
near  the  eastern  and  the  other  close  to  the  western 
shore;  between  are  flats  of  comparatively  shoal  water, 


2l8 


The  Hudson  River 


where  formerh^  some  of  the  older  ma|)s  showed  a  small 
island,  that  was  probably  nothing  more  than  a  sand- 
bar. One  of  the  familiar  features  of  the  shoals  is  that 
of  the  numerous  shad  poles  that  mark  the  fishing- 
grounds. 

Less  important  now  than  formerly  are  the  oyster- 
beds  that  were  once  a  feature  of  this  part  of  the  river. 
In  the  days  when  the  Indians  inhabited  the  shores  of 


TAPPAN  ZEE  AND  THE  TARRYTOWN  LIGHT 


the  Hudson  these  were  among  their  principal  sources 
of  subsistence,  as  evidenced  by  the  extensive  shell- 
heaps  that  still  mark  the  site  of  many  of  their  villages 
or  camps. 

The  water  of  the  Tappan  Zee  is  brackish,  about  half 
sea  water  and  half  fresh.  The  width  from  Tarry  town 
to  Nyack  is  between  three  and  a  half  and  four  miles,  and 
communication  between  the  two  shores  is  kept  up  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  the  year  by  ferry.  Occasionally 


Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee  219 


the  whole  expanse  is  a  splendid  deck  of  ice,  over  which 
skaters  and  sometimes  sleighs  cross.  There  have  been 
some  perilous  episodes  connected  with  the  breaking  of 
the  ice  and  more  than  one  exciting  race  for  life. 

Years  ago  a  whale,  perhaps  in  search  of  the  North- 
west passage,  blundered  into  the  river,  it  is  said,  and 
there  is  even  a  tradition  that  he  grounded  on  the  flats 
and  had  to  wait  for  a  tide  to  float  him  off.  Of  course 
the  boatmen  were  greatly  excited  and  projected  expe- 
ditions to  meet  and  capture  the  monster,  but  it  is  not 
recorded  that  any  one  got  near  enough  to  seriously 
interfere  with  his  departure. 

Piermont,  above  the  northern  extremity  of  the  "ice- 
worn  bosses  of  gneiss,"  is  a  village  that  was  created 
when  the  Erie  Railway  built  the  mile-long  pier  that 
still  projects  into  the  river  at  this  point.  It  is  chiefly 
interesting  because  of  its  proximity  to  the  village  of 
Tappan,  where  Major  Andre  was  executed.  The  house, 
that  was  long  pointed  out  as  the  headquarters  at  Tap- 
pan,  has  been  allowed  to  fall  to  decay.  Quite  recently, 
within  a  few  years,  the  entire  front  of  this  building 
fell  out.  Most  readers  will  remember  the  fate  of  the 
stone  that  Mr.  Field  erected  as  a  memorial  of  the  his- 
toric association  of  Tappan.  Some  rampant  patriot, 
with  more  zeal  than  propriety,  applied  an  explosive 
and  destroyed  it. 

The  place  where  Nyack  stands  was  once  a  part  of  the 
Philipse  manor.  This  town,  though  of  comparatively 
recent  origin,  is  the  principal  one  in  Rockland  County, 


220 


The  Hudson  River 


and  numbers  among  its  inhabitants  many  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  old  county  famiHes.  The  river  front  is 
here  more  accessible  to  the  people  of  the  town  than  are 
the  shores  of  villages  and  cities  on  the  eastern  side  to 
the  people  there.  On  the  Nyack  side  there  is  no  railroad 
running  close  to  the  river,  forming  a  barrier  that  is 


WASHINGTON  HOUSE  AT  TAPPAN 

not  usually  either  safe  or  pleasant  to  cross.  On  the 
east  bank  the  poorer  dwellings  and  the  coal  and  lumber 
yards  are  near  the  river,  while  on  the  west  the  grounds 
of  handsome  residences  slope  to  the  water's  edge. 

One  of  the  results  of  the  difference  just  noted  is  that 
there  is  quite  a  fleet  of  pleasure  boats  belonging  to 
Nyack  and  a  flourishing  boat  club  there,  while  Tarry- 
town  must  be  content  to  enjoy  its  river  prospect  from 


Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee  221 


a  distance,  as  most  of  its  well-to-do  inhabitants  dwell 
upon  the  hills. 

The  sweep  of  the  Hudson  River  from  Haverstraw 
Bay  to  the  Tappan  Zee  is  around  the  curving  base  of 
that  deceptive  headland  known  as  Point-no-Point,  or 
Rockland  Point.  As  its  name  implies,  it  is  at  best  the 
bluntest  of  points.    It  juts  into  the  current,  a  segment 


HIGH  TAUR — PUINT-NO-POINT  AND  HAVERSTRAW 
{From  a  drawing  by  the  author) 

of  a  huge  circle,  just  above  the  palisaded  front  of  Hook 
Mountain,  and  just  below  the  venerable  crest  of  old 
Taur.  Back  of  No-Point,  over  the  brow  of  the  hills, 
in  a  basin  to  which  they  are  the  titanic  rim,  lies  Rock- 
land Lake,  and  day  after  day  the  ice-cars  pass  and  re- 
pass the  crest  on  their  way  between  the  ice-houses  on 
the  lake  side  and  those  on  the  river  shore.  A  headland 
that  used  to  be  eagerly  looked  for  by  the  passengers 


222 


The  Hudson  River 


on  the  river  boats,  and  was  pointed  out  by  every  river- 
man,  who  viewed  it  with  the  pride  of  conscious  pro- 
prietorship, No-Point  satisfied  the  cuhivated  sense  of 
the  artist  and  impressed  the  untutored  wayfarer  with 
its  perfection. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  not  even  the  Hudson  River 
affords  a  more  perfect  combination  of  form  and  colour 
in  landscape  than  this  used  to  present.  The  traveller 
from  other  lands  carried  away,  among  his  pleasantest 
impressions,  the  memory  of  its  beautiful  sweep  of  out- 
line and  the  blending  of  lush  summer  foliage  into  the 
silver  grey  of  weather-beaten  rocks,  or  the  rich  chrom- 
atic harmony  of  its  autumn  dress.  Now  there  is  a 
dust-cloud  hanging  over  a  scene  of  increasing  desola- 
tion. Acres  of  broken  rock  and  bare  soil  scar  the  cliff 
and  make  it  an  offence  to  the  eye.  The  selfishness  of 
those  who  are  robbing  the  State  of  one  of  its  most 
charming  and  beautiful  possessions  should  arouse 
universal  antagonism.  The  explanation  of  this  van- 
dalism can  be  given  in  one  word, — gravel.  In  one 
scale  are  beauty,  sentiment,  the  delight  of  the  eye, 
the  restful,  health-conserving  qualities  inherent  in  a 
harmonious  landscape;  in  the  other — gravel.  Gravel 
is  a  marketable  commodity.  Gravel  pays.  Gravel 
fills  the  pockets  of  the  contractor,  and  must  be  secured 
for  that  purpose  without  regard  to  sentiment  or  local 
pride.  The  story  of  the  Palisades  over  again?  Yes, 
and  worse;  for  while  every  one  concedes  the  unique 
character  of  the  great  monotonous  rock  wall — the 


spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee  223 


ice- worn  bosses  of  gneiss,"  as  Professor  Geikie  called 
it — that  stretches  its  long,  parallel  lines  of  base  and 
crest  above  the  river,  opposite  Yonkers,  it  is  a  ques- 
tion if  any  artist  ever  greatly  admired  its  parallelism. 
The  rectangular  structure  was  tolerable  only  because 
of  the  robes  of  colour  that  clothed  it  in  the  ruddy  sun- 
lit morning  and  the  purple-mantled  evening.  But  the 
people  of  Yonkers  and  its  vicinity  love  the  Palisades, 
and  were  aroused  to  effective  action  against  the  van- 
dalism that  has  attem^pted  their  demolition. 

In  the  case  of  No-Point  the  offence  is  greater,  if  pos- 
sible, because  the  harm  done  is  greater,  and  the  loss 
more  irreparable.  Without  seeking  to  condone  the 
wrong  done  at  the  Palisades,  it  may  be  pointed  out 
that  in  the  course  of  years  the  foliage,  springing  up  in 
the  fissures  and  valleys  that  have  been  made,  will  cover 
the  site  of  the  blasting.  But  this  palliative  can  never 
be  applied  to  the  conduct  of  those  who  are  denuding 
the  headland  of  No-Point.  Its  curving  contours,  from 
any  point  of  view,  are  so  nearly  perfect  that  it  is  in- 
conceivable that  the  work  now  going  on  can  result  in 
anything  but  permanent  injury.  No  one  can  tell  how 
long  this  outrage  is  to  continue  if  the  people  of  the 
State  do  not  take  measures  to  protect  themselves ;  but 
as  there  seems  to  be  no  limit  to  the  gravel  market,  it 
is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  a  future  generation  may 
find  a  low  and  barren  stone  heap  on  the  site  of  this 
ancient  landmark.  The  offence  to  the  eye,  to  the 
artistic  sense,  to  our  innate  love  for  beauty,  is  not  the 


224 


The  Hudson  River 


only  nor  the  greatest  wrong  done  by  the  defacement 
of  Point-no- Point.  The  offence  to  the  ear,  the  injury 
done  to  the  nervous  system  is  a  ground  on  which  to 
base  pubhc  action.  A  population  of  several  thousand 
people  in  several  towns  and  villages  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river  is  continually  disturbed  by  the  heavy 
blasting,  that  is  like  the  discharge  of  great  parks  of 
artillery.  Curiously,  the  jarring  and  the  noise  are 
much  more  severely  apparent  to  the  people  of  Ossin- 
ing,  Croton,  Scarborough,  and  Tarry  town  than  at 
Nyack  or  New  City,  or  Haverstraw.  Even  as  far  away 
as  Tarry  town,  which  is  eight  or  ten  miles  distant  across 
the  river,  windows  are  shaken,  and  the  sick  often  seri- 
ously disturbed  by  the  heavy  detonations,  while  at 
Ossining,  more  nearly  opposite  the  Point,  invalids  and 
the  aged  are  particularly  distressed  by  the  rattling  and 
shaking,  the  shock  and  the  uproar. 

It  is  time  that  there  should  be  a  general  under- 
standing of  the  rights  of  the  public  in  such  matters. 
Already,  in  numberless  ways,  the  right  of  public  pro- 
tection is  admitted.  In  the  erection  of  buildings,  the 
establishment  of  unsavoury  enterprises,  the  storage  of 
dangerous  explosives,  or  the  traffic  in  infected  goods, 
the  right  of  communal  defence  against  individual  ag- 
gression is  enforced.  The  property-holder  is  enjoined 
that  he  must  hold  his  property  subject  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  community.  Why  has  not  the  commu- 
nity a  right  to  the  pleasure  of  the  eye  and  the  rest  of 
the  ear  and  the  peace  of  the  nerves,  as  well  as  to 


Spectres  of  the  Tappan  Zee 


225 


immunity  from  noxious  odours  and  unwholesome 
vapours?  Do  we  not  admit  that  diseases  of  the  nerves 
are  among  the  most  prevalent,  the  most  varied,  the 
most  stubborn,  and  the  most  dangerous  of  any  with 
which  medical  science  has  to  cope? 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  population  of  the  towns 
upon  the  Hudson  should  sit  down  supinely.  If  the 
aesthetic  basis  is  asserted  by  a  community,  it  will  be 
recognised  by  the  law.  Let  people  understand  that  a 
landscape  is  a  public  possession,  that  beauty  in  nature, 
the  curve  of  hill  and  colour  of  foliage,  is  educational, 
and  that  the  loss  of  these  things  is  a  serious  one  to 
them  and  to  their  children. 


Chapter  XV 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 

OXE  of  the  first  settlers  on  PhiHpse's  patent  was 
a  Swede  named  Jeremiah  Dobbs,  w^ho  took 
up  land  at  the  place  variously  spelled,  in 
old  records,  Wacquesquick,  Wisquaqua,  and  Weeck- 
quaesguck.  Algonquin  names,  after  passing  through 
various  phonetic  arrangements,  have  a  varied  anthog- 
raphy.  The  name  here  quoted  is  translated  to  mean 
the  Place  of  the  Bark  Kettle.  What  the  tradition 
may  have  been  that  associated  such  a  name  with  the 
little  brook  that  enters  the  river  here,  and  afterwards 
applied  it  to  quite  an  extensive  territory,  no  antiquary 
has  discovered. 

Dobbs  had  a  shanty  on  Willow  Point  and  eked  out 
his  modest  living  by  ferrying  chance  passengers  over 
the  river  in  his  periauger,  or  dugout.  His  name  was 
easier  to  pronounce  than  Weeckquaesguck,  and  being, 
moreover,  associated  with  a  ferry,  it  was  perpetuated 
as  a  place  name,  w^hile  that  of  the  bark  kettle  fell  into 
disuse. 

But  Dobbs  is  a  thorn-in-the-side  to  the  residents 

near  his  ferry,  who  have  made  several  very  serious 

226 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


227 


efforts  to  have  the  Legislature  authorise  the  use  of  a 
more  euphonious  name.  Several  public  meetings  have 
been  held  at  different  times  to  agitate  the  question 
and  not  a  few  have  been  the  alternatives  suggested. 
Mr.  Van  Brugh  Livingston,  who  owned  much  land 
thereabouts  and  was  a  prominent  citizen,  tried  to  have 
his  own  name  applied  to  the  village ;  not  a  few  persons 
were  in  favour  of  adopting  that  of  Paulding,  one  of 
the  captors  of  Andre,  and  some  one  suggested  Van 
Wart.  The  last  proposition  was  met  by  a  gravely 
advanced  argument  in  favour  of  dropping  the  Van 
from  the  last  name  and  simply  calling  the  place  "  Wart- 
on-the-Hudson."  For  a  short  time,  Greenburgh  w^as 
accepted  as  a  compromise,  and  Dobbs  Ferry  became 
Greenburgh  to  the  post-office  authorities,  but  as  a 
quiet  after-thought  the  old  name  was  finally  restored. 

There  are  at  this  place  nmnerous  shell-heaps,  and 
other  indications  that  at  one  time  the  Indian  popula- 
tion was  a  large  one,  but  there  is  no  record  of  any  par- 
ticular event  connected  with  its  history  till  the  dark 
days  of  1776,  when  its  situation  in  relation  to  the 
Palisades  brought  it  for  a  time  into  prominence.  From 
no  nearer  point  above  Spuyten  Duyvil  could  a  landing- 
place  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  be  secured, 
owing  to  the  precipitous  cliffs.  For  this  reason  we  find 
that  the  dispatches  of  both  the  British  and  American 
commanders  bear  frequent  references  to  Dobbs  Ferry. 

After  the  battle  of  White  Plains  the  British  force 
encamped  here  for  eight  days.    From  here,  Lord  Corn- 


228 


The  Hudson  River 


wallis  crossed  the  river  into  New  Jersey.  Here  are 
the  remains  of  several  redoubts  and  a  fort,  though 
there  was  no  land  engagement  at  Dobbs  Ferry. 

When  Arnold  arranged  his  first  interview,  relative 
to  the  betrayal  of  West  Point,  with  Andre,  he  was  to 
meet  him  at  Dobbs  Ferry,  but  as  the  name  seems  to 
have  applied  equally  to  the  eastern  and  western  land- 
ings, it  is  uncertain  w^hich  side  of  the  river  was  indi- 
cated. We  know^  that  the  plan  miscarried,  and  the 
treacherous  i\merican  general  was  so  closely  pursued 
by  a  British  gunboat  that  he  narrowly  escaped  cap- 
ture. After  the  condemnation  of  Andre,  General 
Greene  met  Sir  Henry  Clinton  at  Dobbs  Ferry  to  dis- 
cuss the  possibility  of  ameliorating  his  sentence.  Here, 
in  1777,  General  Lincoln's  division  of  the  Continental 
army  camped  for  a  short  time. 

In  front  of  an  interesting  old  house  at  Dobbs  Ferry, 
in  1894,  a  monument  was  erected  by  the  New  York 
State  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 
The  inscription  upon  it  reads: 

Washington's  Headquarters. 

Here,  July  6,  1781,  the  French  alhes,  under  Rochambeau, 
joined  the  American  army. 

Here,  August  14,  1781,  Washington  planned  the  Yorktown 
campaign,  which  brought  to  a  triumphant  end  the  War  for 
American  independence. 

Here,  May  6,  1783,  Washington  and  Sir  Guy  Carleton  ar- 
ranged for  the  evacuation  of  American  soil  by  the  British. 

And  opposite  this  point  May  8,  1 783,  a  British  sloop-of-war  fired 
seventeen  guns  in  honour  of  the  American  Commander-in-chief, 
the  first  salute  by  Great  Britain  to  the  United  States  of  America. 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


229 


In  1 86 1,  Lossing  wrote: 

The  Livingston  mansion,  owned  by  Stephen  Archer,  a  Quaker, 
is  preserved  in  its  original  form.  Under  its  roof  in  past  times 
many  distinguished  men  have  been  sheltered;  Washington  had 
his  headquarters  there  toward  the  close  of  the  Revolution  and 
there  in  November,  1783,  Washington,  George  Clinton, 
and  Sir  Guy  Carleton    .    .    .    met  to  confer,  etc.,  etc. 

Both  of  the  statements  quoted  above  are  mislead- 
ing. The  house  referred  to  is  not  the  Livingston  family 
seat,  but  was  acquired  by  Mr.  Van  Brugh  Livingston 
about  1823.  If  any  part  of  it  was  standing  during 
the  AVar  for  Independence,  it  was  the  small  rear  por- 
tion. One  authority  states  that  the  interview  between 
Washington  and  Carleton  took  place  on  board  of  a 
British  vessel  in  the  river,  but  this  seems  strikingly 
improbable. 

On  the  water,  near  Dobbs  Ferry,  in  1781,  there  was  a 
sharp  engagement  between  some  British  and  American 
guard-boats.  Almost  immediately  following  this  skir- 
mish two  gunboats  ascended  the  river  from  New  York, 
with  the  evident  intention  of  cutting  out  the  vessels 
congregated  near  the  ferry,  but  they  were  discovered 
and  driven  away  by  shot  from  the  shore  batteries. 

Dobbs  Ferry  was  in  the  heart  of  that  debatable 
region  known  as  the  neutral  ground,  the  inhabitants 
of  which  were  so  harried  and  impoverished  that,  ac- 
cording to  a  record  left  by  a  traveller  of  that  time, 
they  seemed  almost  without  hope  or  ambition ;  silent, 
apathetic,  regarding  every  man  as  a  possible  foe. 


230 


The  Hudson  River 


To-day  the  ])laec  is  a  colleetionof  attractive  country- 
seats,  and  its  inha])itants,  hke  those  of  most  of  the 
river  towns  within  thirty-five  miles  of  New^  York,  are 
largely  de])endent  upon  the  city  for  their  social  enter- 
tainment and  business  life. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Dobbs  Ferry,  a  little  way 
to  the  north,  is  the  comparatively  new  station  of 
Ardsley-on- the- Hudson,  where  is  a  fashionable  and 
attractive  inn,  or  club-house,  with  all  the  modern 
allurements  of  golf  course,  etc.  The  establishment 
takes  its  name  from  that  of  Cyrus  W.  Field's  former 
estate,  upon  a  portion  of  which  it  is  built.  Mr.  Field 
W'ill  be  remembered,  when  his  eminence  as  a  factor  in 
the  financial  w^orld  may  be  forgotten,  as  the  man 
whose  energy  and  persistence  in  the  face  of  obstacles 
succeeded  in  laying  the  first  Atlantic  cable.  His  home 
was  in  what  some  one  has  called  the  great  millionaire 
belt  of  the  east  shore  of  the  Hudson.  For  mile  upon 
mile  the  prospect  along  shore  is  that  of  magnificent 
residences  and  highly  developed  grounds. 

Although  it  is  no  part  of  our  purpose  to  fill  these 
pages  wdth  a  descriptive  list  of  the  mansions  that  mul- 
tiply till  they  suggest  a  celestial  comparison,  3^et  we 
think  that  no  American  will  quarrel  with  us  for  making 
one  exception.  There  is  a  white- walled  house  that 
overlooks  the  river  between  Irvington  and  Tarry  town. 
It  is  a  noticeable  landmark,  in  its  outlines  suggesting 
the  gothic  dignity  of  some  ecclesiastical  edifice  by  the 
Thames,  rather  than  a  dwelling  on  the  Hudson.  An 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


231 


older  house,  included  within  its  walls,  was  built  in 
1840  by  General  William  Paulding,  the  brother  of 
James  K.  Paulding.  But  its  chief  interest  is  in  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  property  and  residence  of  Miss  Helen 
Gould.  No  one  has  ever  numbered  the  charities  that 
have  flowed  from  Lyndhurst  since  Miss  Gould,  of 
whom  we  love  to  think  as  a  typical  American  woman, 
became  the  mistress  of  its  pleasant  acres.  Her  home 
is  palatial,  but  it  was  not  considered  too  good  to  be 
the  resting-place  for  convalescent  soldiers,  broken 
down  by  a  Cuban  campaign;  her  conservatories  are 
remarkable  even  in  this  neighbourhood  of  millionaires, 
but  they  are  not  too  fine  to  be  open  with  a  welcome  to 
the  poorest  child  that  seeks  admission. 

Lyndhurst  means  a  forest  of  linden  trees,  but  its 
park-like  lawns  are  shaded  by  nearly  all  of  the  orna- 
mental trees  that  will  thrive  in  our  latitude,  and  it 
has  naturally  become  one  of  the  show-places  of  a 
region  of  parks. 

Lyndhurst  lies  between  Irvington,  which  is,  perhaps, 
the  choicest  residence  section  of  the  river  shore,  in 
some  respects,  and  Tarry  town.  The  early  his  tor  3^  of 
the  latter  place  has  been  already  touched  upon  in  the 
reference  made  to  the  Manor  Lord,  Filipse,  who  built 
his  strong  house  near  the  Pocantico  in  1683  or  1684, 
and  soon  afterwards  erected  the  stone  church  which 
became  world  famous  as  the  Old  Dutch  Church  of 
Sleepy  Hollow,  now  the  oldest  church  building  in  use 
in  New  York  State. 


The  Hudson  River 


The  Re\'()kitio!iary  history  of  Tarrvtowii  is  in  the 
main  that  of  all  other  hamlets  within  the  neutral  ter- 
ritory'. It  was  overridden  and  ])illaged,  ])ro])erty  and 
life  were  ne\'er  safe  for  an  hour,  and  famine,  sickness, 
and  terror  were  the  portion  of  most  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  British  threatened  to  destroy  stores  near  the  vil- 
lage and  made  one  or  two  attempts  to  do  so,  landing 
in  force  upon  at  least  one  occasion.  General  Lincoln 
marched  through  on  his  way  to  Kingsbridge;  Colonel 
Luddington  commanded  five  hundred  militia  here; 

Light- Horse  Harry  "  Lee  had  a  brush  w^ith  some  of 
Dunop's  Yagers, — w^e  might  go  on  indefinitely  with 
such  details,  none  of  them  particularly  important. 
Here  Van  Courtlandt's  river  guard  made  a  rendezvous, 
and  the  yeomen  of  the  neighbourhood  tried  to  guard 
the  crosswavs  and  peppered  the  British  boats  w^hen 
they  ventured  near  the  shore.  On  one  memorable 
night,  fire-ships  ascending  the  river  attacked  and  drove 
away  a  number  of  British  vessels  that  had  anchored 
off  the  Tarry  to  w^n  shore,  and  set  fire  to  one  of  the 
tenders. 

On  Sunday,  the  15th  of  July,  1781,  two  sloops  were 
going  down  the  Hudson,  loaded  with  pow^der  and  arms 
for  the  American  army,  w^hen  several  British  w^ar-ships 
w^ith  their  tenders  w^ere  discovered  approaching  from 
an  opposite  direction.  In  order  to  avoid  an  embar- 
rassing meeting,  the  supply  vessels  put  into  Tarry- 
town;  but  the  enemy,  who  w^ere  looking  for  just  such 
game,  were  not  to  be  eluded,  and  pursued  them  so 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


235 


closely  that  in  a  short  time  they  were  cornered  beyond 
any  apparent  possibility  of  escape.  The  troops  in  the 
neighbourhood  at  that  time  consisted  of  a  sergeant's 
guard  of  French  infantry  and  a  troop  of  dragoons  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Sheldon,  whose  regiment  lay  at 
Dobbs  Ferry.  These  soldiers,  dismounting,  worked 
with  great  spirit  in  assisting  to  unload  the  stores  from 
the  sloops,  but  were  soon  subjected  to  a  galling  fire 
fro  mi  the  British  frigates.  Under  cover  of  this  can- 
nonading, two  gunboats  and  four  barges  crept  in  to 
destroy  the  sloops;  but  the  Americans  on  board, 
though  greatly  inferior  in  number,  had  no  idea  of  aban- 
doning their  task.  Captain  Hurlburt,  of  the  2d  Regi- 
ment of  Dragoons,  commanded  twelve  intrepid  men, 
armed  only  with  swords  and  pistols,  who  resisted  till 
the  last  possible  moment,  but  were  driven  away  by 
the  overwhelming  attack  of  the  British.  But  the  in- 
trepid commander  rallied  his  force  once  more  and, 
aided  by  the  fire  of  the  French  infantry  and  dismounted 
dragoons,  returned  to  the  sloops  by  swimming,  and 
succeeded  in  extinguishing  the  flames  kindled  by  their 
foes. 

This  heroic  feat  was  second  to  none  in  daring,  as  we 
must  realise  when  we  consider  the  nature  of  the  cargo 
contained  by  the  supply  vessels,  and  the  immediate 
risk  of  explosion  incurred. 

The  British  were  driven  away  and  failed  in  their 
purpose,  but  the  brave  Hurlburt  received  injuries  from 
which  he  never  recovered,  dying  from  the  effects  of 


236 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


them  al)()iit  two  years  later.  This  aetioti,  hardly  no- 
ticed in  general  history,  should  at  least  be  chronicled 
among  im])ortant  niinor  actions  of  the  war,  and  the 
name  of  Hurlljurt  be  honoured  with  those  of  Gushing 
or  Hobson. 

The  most  notable  of  all  historic  events  connected 
with  this  part  of  the  river  w^as  the  capture  of  Major 
Jc^hn  Andre  at  Tarrytow^n,  in  September,  1780.  Fresh 
from  his  interview  with  the  traitorous  Arnold,  within 
the  American  lines,  Andre  was  escaping  on  horseback, 
in  disguise,  to  New  York,  when  stopped  by  the  three 
American  militiamen,  John  Paulding,  David  Williams, 
and  Isaac  Van  Wart.  The  details  of  that  ca])ture 
have  been  worn  threadbare  by  constant  repetition,  and 
the  merit  of  captors  and  captive  have  been  discussed 
with  hardly  abated  w^armth  for  a  century  and  more. 
We  will  not  enter  into  that  controversy.  At  a  point 
near  the  present  highway,  probably  about  an  eighth 
of  a  mile  to  the  east  of  it,  the  trio  of  scouts  were 
apparently  waiting  for  something  to  turn  up,  when 
they  heard  the  sound  of  a  horse's  hoofs  and  inter- 
cepted the  rider.  Forcing  him  to  dismount,  they  drew 
him  into  the  bushes  and  under  a  tree  somewhat  to  the 
east  of  the  present  road,  searched  him,  finally  discov- 
ering the  criminating  papers  in  his  boot. 

Whether  Paulding  really  exclaimed,  My  God,  he 
is  a  spy,"  or  whether  the  question  of  ransom  w^as  ever 
seriously  discussed,  are  matters  that  will  probably 
never  be  settled.    What  is  important  is  that  the  men 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


237 


who  captured  Andre  did  not  conclude  any  bargain  for 
ransom,  but  actually  held  their  prisoner  till  they  had 
turned  him  over  to  some  one  who  had  official  author- 
ity to  hold  him,  and  that  they  were  honoured  by  the 
Commander-in-chief  of  the  army  and  by  Congress  as 
the  saviours,  of  the  State. 

The  dispatching  of  Andre  to  Washington,  under 
guard,  and  the  sad  termination  of  the  life  of  the  active 
and  popular  young  Englishman,  belong  to  one  of  the 
most  familiar  narratives  of  American  history. 

i\mong  the  legends  that  are  famous  wherever  the 
English  tongue  is  familiar,  or  its  literature  known,  that 
of  the  Headless  Horseman  of  Sleepy  Hollow  has  been 
read.  To  attempt  to  retell  a  story  so  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  the  fame  of  Washington  Irving,  savours 
of  effrontery,  and  we  can  only  regret  that  the  length 
of  the  legend,  as  accepted,  forbids  its  insertion  here. 

Among  the  famous  men  whose  homes  were,  for  a 
longer  or  shorter  period,  at  Tarry  town.  Commodore 
Matthew  Galbraith  Perry,  to  whom  the  world  owes 
the  opening  of  Japan  to  Western  influences,  must  not 
be  forgotten.  His  house  was  to  the  north  of  the 
estate  of  Mr.  William  Aspinwall,  now  owned  by  Mr. 
William  Rockefeller.  Not  far  away  was  the  cottage  in 
which  Captain  Alexander  Slidell  Mackenzie  resided, 
after  the  distressing  episode  on  the  brig  Somers,  when  he 
caused  the  son  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  be  hanged 
from  the  yard-arm  for  mutiny.  General  James  Watson 
Webb  was  also  for  years  a  resident  of  Tarry  town,  his 


The  Hudson  River 


estate  being  afterwards  ])urchased  by  General  John  C. 
Fronton t — the  Pathfinder. 


LOOKOUT  AT  OLD  QUARRY — TARRYTOWN 
{From  a  draiving  by  the  author) 

Those  whose  memories  include  the  stirring  days  of 
the  Civil  War  will  recollect  how,  in  1863,  at  the  time 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


239 


of  the  dreadful  "draft  riots"  in  New  York,  a  demon- 
stration of  sympathy  with  the  rioters  was  suggested 
by  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  what  was  then  known 
as  Beekmantown,  and  how  a  gunboat,  anchored  within 
range,  produced  a  change  of  heart  in  the  most  turbu- 
lent. At  that  time  a  company  of  roughs  from  farther 
down  the  river  were  marching  upon  Tarry  town,  with 
the  intention  of  doing  mischief  to  the  coloured  por- 
tion of  the  population.  The  latter,  badly  frightened, 
swarmed  over  the  hills,  taking  refuge  in  the  woods 
back  of  the  village.  But  the  rioters  never  reached  the 
town.  A  brave  minister  of  the  place,  the  Rev.  Abel 
T.  Stewart,  accompanied  by  one  or  two  companions, 
went  unarmed  to  meet  that  mob  of  several  hundred 
bloodthirsty^  ruffians,  and  succeeded  by  his  fearless 
resolution  and  persuasive  eloquence  in  turning  them 
from  their  purpose. 

One  cannot  visit  Sleepy  Hollow  or  explore  the  banks 
of  the  Pocantico  as  it  seeks  the  Hudson  without  being 
conscious  that  Washington  Irving  stretched  his  scep- 
tre over  these  hills  and  valleys.  From  the  gables  of 
Sunnyside  to  the  belfry  of  the  Old  Dutch  Church,  from 
"Tommy  Deans"  store  to  Carl's  mill,  his  domain  ex- 
tended, and  is  still  his  inalienable  territory,  let  who 
will  pay  the  taxes! 

The  associations  which  led  him  back  to  Tarrytown 
after  years  of  wandering  were  formed  in  boyhood. 
The  Pauldings,  connected  with  his  family  by  mar- 
riage, lived  near  a  pleasant  bay,  just  south  of  the 


240 


The  Hudson  River 


])rcsent  station,  and  it  was  while  visiting  them  that  he 
made  an  early  aecfuaintanee  with  the  eharaeters  and 
seenes  that  engaged  his  pen  in  later  years. 

James  Kirke  Paulding,  his  senior  by  several  years, 
was  his  guide  and  friend,  if  not  philosopher;  and  it  is 
not  improbable  that  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood, 
who  have  eonjured  for  half  a  eentury  by  Geoffrey 
Crayon's  name,  must  thank  that  engaging  youngster 
for  their  titular  saint. 

It  is  hard  for  us  to  realise,  looking  at  the  cultivated 
"grounds,"  the  "improved"  residences,  and  innumer- 
able smooth  lawms,  what  those  two  boys  found  as  they 
rambled  with  guns  or  rods  over  the  hills,  or  pushed 
their  boat  into  the  bays  along  the  river  shore.  The 
Pocantico  and  its  tributary  streams  then  teemed  with 
trout.  The  quail  piped  in  every  cornfield,  and  the 
grouse  whirred  from  every  invaded  thicket.  One 
little  distant  church  folded  the  entire  rural  flock  on 
Sabbath  days.  Revolutionary  veterans,  in  the  prime 
of  life,  fought  their  battles  over  at  the  tavern  or  the 
store.  The  market  boat  that  sailed  at  stated  inter- 
vals for  New  York,  wind  and  w^eather  permitting,  tied 
up  near  the  Paulding  house,  and  the  farm  waggons 
lumbered  down  with  their  produce  to  the  landing.  A 
century  has  made  mighty  changes. 

Years  afterward,  Washington  Irving  wrote: 

To  me  the  Hudson  is  full  of  storied  associations,  connected 
as  it  is  with  some  of  the  happiest  portions  of  my  life.  Each 
striking  feature  brings  to  mind  some  early  adventure  or  enjoy- 


In  the  Land  of  Irvinij^ 

o 


241 


ment,  some  favourite  companion  who  shared  it  with  me,  some 
fair  object,  perchance,  of  youthful  admiration,  who,  Hke  a  star, 
may  have  beamed  her  allotted  time  and  passed  away. 

There  is  something  dehghtfully  youthful  and  pas- 
toral in  that  last  touch.  We  catch  a  glimpse  of  other 
boyish  pastimes  than  gunning  or  fishing  or  dreaming 
in  a  boat  under  the  willows  near  Mr.  Oliver  Ferris 's 
house, — the  Sunnyside  of  future  years.  The  "beam- 
ing" objects  of  youthful  admiration,  met  at  the  church 
or  down  by  the  mill-pond  between  services,  or  perhaps 
at  the  market-boat  landing,  gave,  we  cannot  doubt,  a 
peculiar  zest  to  life,  a  particular  delight  to  memory. 
The  granddaughters  of  those  girls  of  long  ago  must, 
some  of  them  at  least,  be  with  us  still.  I  wonder  if 
there  are  preserved  pleasant  traditions  of  those  inno- 
cent flirtations.  I  would  like  to  know  how  the  slower 
country  beaux  regarded  the  encroachments  of  those 
two  city  boys. 

One  of  the  resorts  well  known  to  all  the  fishermen 
on  the  Tappan  Zee  was  the  Hafenje,  or  little  harbour, 
a  pleasant  bay  that  indented  the  shore  to  the  north  of 
the  "Yellow  Rocks."  In  later  days  the  old  Dutch 
name  became  corrupted  to  "Hobbinger."  It  can 
hardly  be  doubted  that  the  youthful  companions  wet 
their  lines  in  its  quiet  water  or  beached  their  boat  under 
the  pines  and  hemlocks  that  bordered  it.  What  is  left 
of  the  Hafenje  now  is  a  shallow  cove  between  the  rail- 
road track  and  the  dam  behind  which  General  Watson 
Webb  confined  its  tributary  brook.    John  C.  Fremont 


242 


'I  he  I  luclson  River 


aftenvard  bou^^lu  tliat  ])r()])crty,  and  the  ])ond  and 
cove  are  loeally  known  by  his  name.  From  an  old 
sketeli  written  by  Paukhn<^  and  pubHshed  in  1828  in 
one  of  the  then  fashionaljle  annuals,  we  get  a  glimpse 
of  the  loeal  oddities,  the  characters,  whose  originality 
appealed  so  strongly  to  Irving,  and  of  landmarks  that 
have  been  obliterated.  He  describes  ''the  little  mar- 
ket town  on  the  river,  from  whence  the  boats  plied 
weekly  to  New  York  with  produce,"  as  a  "pestilent 
little  place  [in  1793]  for  running  races,  pitching  quoits, 
and  wrestling  for  gin-slings,"  but  adds: 

I  must  do  it  credit  to  say  that  it  is  now  [1828]  a  very  orderly 
town,  sober  and  quiet,  save  when  Parson  Mathias,  who  calls 
himself  a  Son  of  Thunder,  is  praying  in  secret  so  as  to  be  heard 
across  the  river.  It  so  happened  that  of  all  the  days  in  the 
year,  this  was  the  very  day  [one  Tuesday  in  November]  a  rumour 
had  got  into  the  town  that  I  myself,  the  veritable  writer  of  this 
true  story,  had  been  poisoned  by  a  dish  of  souchong  tea. 
There  was  not  a  stroke  of  work  done  in  the  village  that  day. 
The  shoemaker  abandoned  his  awl,  the  hatter  his  bowstring,  the 
tailor  his  goose,  and  the  forge  of  the  blacksmith  was  cool  from 
dawn  till  nightfall.  Silent  was  the  sonorous  harmony  of  the  big 
spinning  wheel,  silent  the  village  song,  and  silent  the  fiddle  of 
Master  Timothy  Canty,  who  passed  his  livelong  time  in  playing 
tuneful  measures  and  catching  bugs  and  butterflies. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  let  the  careful  Duyck- 
inck  supply  the  grain  of  salt  with  which  he  warns  us 
that  Paulding  should  be  enjoyed: 

In  almost  all  the  writings  of  Paulding  there  is  occasionally 
infused  a  dash  of  his  peculiar  vein  of  humorous  satire  and  keen 
sarcastic  irony.  .  .  .  It  is  sometimes  somewhat  difficult  to 
decide  when  ho  is  jesting  and  when  he  is  in  earnest.    This  is  on 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


243 


the  whole  a  great  disadvantage  in  an  age  when  irony  is  seldom 
resorted  to. 

With  this  timely  caution  posted  in  the  path  of  litera- 
ture, we  must  be  dull  indeed  if  we  do  not  sus])ect  that 
perhaps  the  voice  of  the  Rev.  Mathias  did  not  reach 
altogether  across  the  river, — let  us  say  half-way  over 
— or  that  the  wrestling  for  gin-slings  was  overesti- 
mated. But  must  we  give  up  Tim  Canty  bodily? 
That  would  be  almost  as  hard  as  to  admit  that  Ichabod 
Crane  had  no  actual  prototype. 

Around  his  garret  were  disposed  a  number  of  unframed  pic- 
tures, painted  on  glass,  as  in  the  olden  time,  representing  the 
four  seasons,  the  old  King  of  Prussia,  and  Prince  Ferdinand  of 
Brunswick,  .  .  .  the  beautiful  Constantia  PhilHps,  and 
divers  others.  .  .  .  The  whole  village  poured  into  the  garret 
to  gaze  at  these  chefs  d'ccuvres,  and  it  is  my  confirmed  opinion 
.  that  neither  the  gallery  of  Florence,  Dresden,  nor  the 
Louvre  was  ever  visited  by  so  many  real  amateurs. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that,  under  the  guidance 
of  this  lively  companion,  Washington  Irving  became 
familiar  with  what  in  the  literary  jargon  of  to-day  is 
called  local  colour,  used  afterwards  so  lavishly  upon 
the  canvas  whereon  Ichabod  and  Katrina  and  Brom 
the  Devil  are  painted  with  a  master  hand. 

We  may  suppose  that  the  seed  which  was  to  come 
to  fruition  in  The  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow  was  planted 
in  those  youthful  days  and  germinated  during  the 
twenty  years'  interval.  The  vivid  impressions  made 
by  new  and  picturesque  surroundings  upon  the  im- 
pressionable mind  of  the  lad  of  fifteen  years  of  age 


244 


The  Hudson  Rix  cr 


were  destined  to  affect  the  Hfc  and  the  fame  of  an 
American  author  in  whose  work,  ])erha])s,  as  much  as 
in  tliat  of  any  other,  there  is  evidence  of  permanency. 
B\'  his  own  confession,  Ir\'ing  was  but  an  indifferent 
si)ortsman.  His  nephew  tells  us  that  he  explored  the 
recesses  of  Sleepy  Hollow  with  a  gun  in  1798,  but  we 
know  that  the  best  spoils  of  those  expeditions  were  not 
to  l)e  found  in  his  game-bag. 

Clarence  Cook,  wTiting,  in  1887,  his  school  days 
at  Tarry  town,  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  gives  a 
pleasing  picture  not  only  of  the  place  that  still  retained 
enough  of  simplicity  to  stamp  its  image  upon  his 
memory  "  as  a  sleepy  neighbourhood,  where  dreaming 
w^as  more  the  fashion  than  doing,"  but  of  its  historic 
and  legendary  associations. 

Considering  how  dead  the  village  was,  so  far  as  active  inter- 
ests were  concerned,  we  were  fortunate  as  schoolboys  in  having 
anything  to  quicken  our  minds  in  the  history  and  associations  of 
the  region.  We  became  strongly  interested  in  the  legendary 
gossip  of  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  much  of  which  centred 
about  Andre ;  his  capture  on  our  side  of  the  river,  and  his  trial 
and  execution  at  Tappan,  directly  opposite  us,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  broad  Tappan  Zee.  The  tree  under  which  Andre's  captors 
were  sitting,  playing  cards,  when  he  came  up — for  so  the  story  ran 
— still  stood  in  the  field  by  the  roadside;  although,  between  the 
relic-hunters  and  the  lightning,  it  had  come,  when  I  knew  it,  to 
present  a  rather  forlorn  appearance.  Mr.  Irving  made  good  dra- 
matic use  of  this  tree  in  his  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow,  but  it  is 
likely  enough  he  had  not  seen  it  when  he  wrote  the  story.  .  .  . 
While  I  was  at  school  at  Tarry  town,  Mr.  Irving  was  living  on 
his  little  Sabine  farm  of  Wolfert's  Roost,  which  afterward  was 
so  widely  known  as  Sunnyside.  The  place,  which  originally  con- 
tained ten  acres,  afterward  increased  first  to  fifteen  and  finally 


In  the  Land  of  Irving 


245 


to  eighteen  acres,  lay  on  tlie  river-bank  a  few  miles  below  the 
village,  in  a  neighbourhood  vaguely  known  as  "  Dearman's." 
There  was  no  distinct  settlement  at  this  point  in  my  time,  but  in 
1854,  the  place,  having  secreted  enough  population  to  warrant 
it,  was  set  off  from  Tarry  town  and  incorporated  as  a  village,  to 
which,  out  of  compliment  to  Mr.  Irving,  the  name  of  Irvington 
was  given.  .  .  .  Mr.  Irving  had  never  been  a  man  of  means, 
and  at  the  time  I  speak  of  his  early  fame  as  a  writer  had  almost 
died  away.  Had  I  been  at  school  in  any  other  place  than  Tarry- 
town,  I  siispect  I  should  have  heard  very  little  about  him.  But 
our  schoolmaster  had  named  his  school  the  Irving  Institute,  and 
had  persuaded  Mr.  Irving,  out  of  his  abounding  good  nature  and 
liking  for  young  folks,  to  visit  the  school  occasionally  at  "com- 
mencement" time  and  give  out  the  prizes.  This,  of  course, 
made  it  necessary  to  keep  us  acquainted  with  Irving's  writings, 
and  there  were  some  of  us  who  found  this  no  ungrateful  task. 
The  History  of  New  York  and  The  Sketch  Book  we  knew  by  heart. 
Mr.  Irving  first  heard  the  story  of  the  headless  horseman  from 
his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Van  Wart,  in  Birmingham,  at  the  time 
of  his  visit  to  England  in  18 19.  The  two  homesick  friends  fell 
to  talking  about  old  times  and  scenes,  and  among  the  stories 
that  Mr.  Van  Wart  recalled  was  this  one,  which  so  tickled  Ir- 
ving's fancy  that  he  sat  down  at  once — such  was  his  happy,  off- 
hand way — and  rapidly  sketched  the  outline  of  his  story,  which 
he  afterward  finished  in  London  and  sent  home  to  America,  to 
be  published,  with  other  stories,  as  the  sixth  number  of  The 
Sketch  Book. 


Chapter  XVI 


The  Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson 

NO  review  of  the  Hterary  associations  of  the 
Hudson  would  be  complete  that  did  not 
have  written  large  at  the  very  head  of  it 
the  name  of  Washington  Irving.  We  might  copy  a 
fashion  much  in  vogue  among  art  publishers  of  a 
generation  ago  and  style  our  picture  Irving  and  his 
Friends ;  for  it  is  certain  that  the  names  that  pre- 
sent themselves  most  prominently  in  this  connection 
are  those  of  his  intimate  associates. 

Irving  may  almost  be  said  to  have  discovered  the 
Hudson.  He  found  a  stream  that  was  wonderful  in 
beaut}^  and  already  rich  in  material  for  history,  but 
the  beauty  was  uncelebrated  and  the  history  unre- 
corded. It  is  principally  to  his  pen  that  we  owe  the 
romantic  interest  of  "  the  river  that  he  loved  and 
glorified." 

His  own  acquaintance  with  the  Hudson  began  dur- 
ing the  impressionable  years  of  boyhood,  when,  in  com- 
pany with  his  madcap  associate,  James  K.  Paulding,  he 
explored  the  bays  and  coves  along  the  Tappan  Zee,  and 

haunted  the  woods  that  covered  its  shores,  drawing 

246 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  247 


his  boat  into  the  shade  of  the  willows  that  hung  over 
the  little  brook  at  the  place  that  has  since  become 


IDLEWILD  GLEN 


one  of  the  important  literary  landmarks  of  the  world. 
There,  with  a  book,  under  the  trees,  he  may  have 


248 


The  Iluclson  River 


dreamed  that  cneliantini^  inx'tholo^i^y  of  the  Wizard 
Sachem  and  Wolfert's  Roost,  that  formed  the  legend- 
ary background  for  the  quaint  crow-stc])  gables  and 
clustering  i\'y  of  Sunny  side.  Irving  loved  the  allure- 
ments of  nature;  they  were  the  inducements  held  out 
with  invitations  to  his  friends.  "Come  and  see  me," 
he  wrote,  years  afterward,  from  Sunnyside,  "  and  I 
will  give  you  a  book  and  a  tree." 

A  whimsical  picture  he  drew  of  his  first  reading  of 
Scott's  Lady  of  the  Lake,  while  he  was  at  the  Hoffmans' 
home  on  the  Hudson  in  18 10:  "  Seated  leaning  against 
a  rock,  with  a  wild-cherry  tree  over  my  head,  reading 
Scott's  Lady  of  the  Lake ;  the  busy  ant  hurrying  over 
the  page — crickets  skipping  into  my  bosom — wind 
rustling  among  the  top  branches  of  the  trees.  Broad 
masses  of  shade  darken  the  Hudson  and  cast  the  oppo- 
site shore  in  black." 

With  the  eminent  lawyer,  Josiah  Ogden  Hoffman, 
he  read  law  after  Brockholst  Livingston,  in  whose 
office  he  began  his  studies,  had  been  called  to  the  bench 
of  the  Supreme  Court.  At  Mr.  Hoffman's  house  he 
soon  became  an  intimate  and  most  welcome  visitor  and 
at  times  an  inmate,  for  he  had  a  rare  faculty  for  win- 
ning hearts. 

It  was  during  this  early  period  that  he  lost  his  own 
heart  to  Matilda  Hoffman,  the  daughter  of  his  friend. 
Of  more  than  ordinary  beauty,  fineness  of  character, 
and  sweetness  of  disposition,  that  winsome  girl  of  long 
ago  will  be  remembered  wherever  Irving 's  life  is  read, 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  249 

her  name  linked  with  his  in  one  of  the  world's  pathetic 
love  stories.  Under  all  the  humour  and  the  gaiety 
that  marked  his  work  and  intercourse  with  friends 
during  his  long  life,  he  hid  the  troubling  memory  of 
her  loss.  Miss  Hoffman's  death  occurred  in  1809, 
when  she  was  but  eighteen  years  old  and  he  twenty- 
six.  From  that  time  till,  in  1859,  his  own  dust  was 
laid  to  rest  in  the  Sleepy  Hollow  Cemetery,  he  was 
never  known  to  mention  her  name,  even  to  his  most 
intimate  friends;  but,  after  his  death,  his  literary 
executor  found  a  paper  relating  the  story  of  his  pas- 
sion and  lifelong  attachment  to  her  memory,  together 
with  her  miniature  and  a  braid  of  her  hair.  The  fidel- 
ity of  half  a  century  is  not  less  an  evidence  of  his  worth 
than  a  tribute  to  hers. 

At  Kinderhook,  at  the  historic  home  of  Judge  Wil- 
liam P.  Van  Ness,  where  Martin  Van  Buren  after- 
wards lived,  Irving  spent  the  two  months  immediately 
succeeding  his  bereavement.  It  has  been  shown  by 
a  gentleman  to  whom  Kinderhook  ow^es  much  for 
the  presentation  of  matters  of  local  interest,  that 
there  is  a  strong  probability  at  least,  that  the  origi- 
nal of  the  immortal  character  of  Ichabod  Crane  was 
met  and  studied  by  Irving  while  at  the  Van  Ness 
house. 

A  tragic  interest  is  connected  with  the  name  of 
Irving 's  host  at  Kinderhook.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  he  was  Aaron  Burr's  second  in  the  duel  that 
resulted  in  Alexander  Hamilton's  death,  though  he 


250  The  Hudson  River 

a])])arently  did  not  share  the  odium  that  attached  to 
his  principal's  name. 

Another  of  Irving 's  early  haunts  on  the  Hudson  was 
the  Philipse  house  in  the  Highlands.  There  Paulding, 
Renwick,  and  the  Kembles — Peter  and  Gouverneur — 
met,  along  with  Henry  Brevoort,  whose  acquaintance 
Irving  had  made  while  travelling  on  the  St.  Lawrence 
with  Mr.  Hoffman.  The  two  young  men  soon  formed 
a  friendship  which  was  destined  to  be  lifelong. 

Of  a  visit  to  the  Highlands  during  the  year  181 2, 
just  before  the  commencement  of  hostilities  between 
America  and  Great  Britain,  Irving  wrote  to  Brevoort 
as  follow^s: 

In  August  I  sallied  off  for  the  residence  of  the  Highland  chief- 
tain, whither  I  was  accompanied  by  James  Renwick.  We  passed 
a  few  days  very  pleasantly  there,  during  which  time  Renwick 
took  a  variety  of  sketches  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  From 

the  Captain's  I  proceeded  to  the  country-seat  of  John  R.  L  , 

where  I  remained  for  a  week  in  complete  fairy-land.  His  seat 
is  spacious  and  elegant,  with  fine  grounds  around  it,  and  the 
neighbourhood  is  very  gay  and  hospitable.  I  dined  twice  at 
the  Chancellor's  and  once  at  old  Mrs.  Montgomerv's.  Our  own 
household  was  numerous  and  charming.  In  addition  to  the 
ladies  of  the  family  there  were  Miss  McEvers  and  Miss  Hay- 
ward.  Had  you  but  seen  me,  happy  rogue,  up  to  my  ears  in  "an 
ocean  of  peacock's  feathers,"  or  rather  like  a  "  strawberry  smoth- 
ered in  cream"!  The  mode  of  living  at  the  Manor  is  exactly 
after  my  own  heart.  You  have  every  variety  of  rural  amuse- 
ment within  your  reach,  and  are  left  to  yourself  to  occupy  your 
time  as  you  please.  We  made  several  charming  excursions,  and 
you  may  suppose  how  delightful  they  were,  through  such  beauti- 
ful scenery,  with  such  fine  women  to  accompany  you.  They 
surpassed  even  our  Sunday  morning  rambles  among  the  groves 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  251 


on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  when  you  and  the  divine  H  

were  so  tender  and  sentimental,  and  you  displayed  your  horse- 
manship so  gallantly  by  leaping  over  a  three-barred  gate. 


THE  RIVER  AND 
CATSKILL  MOUNTAINS 
FROM  THE  LAWN  OF 

THE  MONTGOMERY  HOUSE — BARRY  TOWN 
{From  a  d7-awing^  hy  W.  J.  Wilson) 

It  may  be  remembered  that  James  Remvick,  at 
nineteen  years  of  age,  succeeded  Doctor  Kemp  as  Pro- 
fessor of  Natural  History  at  Cokimbia  College.  Irving 
was  highly  tickled  and,  jumping  from  one  extreme  to 


The  Hiulson  River 


the  other,  addressed  him  sometimes  with  exaggerated 
deferenee  and  at  others  as  "my  worthy  lad." 

The  name  of  Gouverneur  Kemble  at  onee  suggests 
Coekloft  Hall,  of  which  he  was,  b>'  inheritance,  the 
owner.  It  was  near  Newark.  There  the  "  Lads  of 
Kilkenny"  used  to  hold  their  informal  meetings,  as 
partly  told  in  the  Salmagundi  papers.  Peter  Irving  and 
Henry  Ogden  were  both  members  of  that  convivial 
nine,  and  long  afterwards  the  former  alluded  in  a  let- 
ter to  "the  procession  in  the  Chinese  saloon,  in  which 
we  made  poor  Dick  McCall  a  knight;  and  I,  as  the 
senior  of  our  order,  dubbed  him  by  some  fatality  on 
the  seat  of  honour  instead  of  the  shoulder." 

There  was  a  sort  of  general  family  connection  be- 
tween several  of  those  companions.  Kemble  s  sister, 
Gertrude,  w^as  afterw^ards  the  wife  of  James  K.  Pauld- 
ing, while  the  Paulding  and  Irving  families  were  also 
allied  by  marriage. 

Paulding  was  by  birth  a  Dutchess  County  boy,  of 
Dutch  ancestry,  whose  first  widely  known  work  was 
done  in  conjunction  with  Washington  Irving,  in  the 
Salmagundi  papers.  In  the  course  of  a  long  life  he 
wrote  voluminously,  both  in  prose  and  verse,  though 
little  of  his  w^ork  is  familiar  to  the  general  reader  of 
to-day.  He  had  a  dry  and  caustic  humour,  little  un- 
derstood or  appreciated  by  the  more  serious  critics 
of  his  day.  Novels,  histories,  fables  and  allegories, 
poems  and  satirical  comments  upon  most  of  the  public 
questions  of  the  moment  flowed  from  his  almost  too 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  253 

facile  pen.  Having  filled  various  honourable  offices  in 
his  native  State,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  during  the  Van  Buren  administration.  His 
home,  near  Hyde  Park,  where  he  passed  in  retirement 
the  final  years  of  a  busy  life,  is  described  in  another 
chapter.  In  the  effervescent  period  of  Cockloft  Hall 
and  Salmagundi,  his  familiar  nickname  was  Billy  Tay- 
lor, from  a  song  that  he  was  fond  of  singing  upon  fes- 
tive occasions. 

Closely  connected  with  Irving,  in  that  circle  of 
writers  that  we  are  wont  to  group  under  the  general 
title  of  Knickerbocker,  were,  among  others,  Fitz- 
Greene  Halleck,  Charles  Fenno  Hoffman,  Joseph 
Rodman  Drake,  Nathaniel  Parker  Willis,  General 
George  P.  Morris,  Frederick  Swartwout  Cozzens,  the 
brothers  Duyckinck,  and  Gulian  Crommelin  Verplanck. 
These  were  all  associated  either  by  residence  or 
by  virtue  of  some  particular  work  with  the  Hudson 
River. 

Charles  Fenno  Hoffman  was  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished of  the  coterie.  He  shared  with  Morris  the 
leadership  among  American  lyric  writers,  and  filled  a 
large  place  in  the  earlier  anthologies.  Of  such  as  he 
it  was  that  Walter  Savage  Landor  wrote:  "We  often 
hear  that  such  and  such  things  '  are  not  worth  an  old 
song.'    Alas,  how  few  things  are!  " 

No  song  in  our  language  is  more  perfect,  after  its 
kind,  than  Hoffman's  famous  Sparkling  and  Bright, 
that  for  twenty  years  was  literally  on  every  one's  lips: 


254 


The  Hudson  River 


in  li<iuid  light 
Does  the  wine  our  goblets  gleam  in, 
With  hue  as  red  as  the  rosy  bed 

Which  a  bee  would  choose  to  dream  in. 

He  sang  of  the  Hudson  in  an  exalted  strain,  in  verse 
that  may  sound  formal  and,  perhaps,  a  little  pedantic 
to  our  modern  ears ;  but  the  fashions  change  in  fifty  or 
sixty  years,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  celebrated  her 
beauties  as  only  a  lover  could.  At  West  Point,  during 
his  early  life,  Hoffman  wrote  a  poem  called  Moonlight 
on  the  Hudson,  from  which  a  brief  quotation  may  be 
admitted  here : 

What  though  no  cloister  grey  nor  ivied  column 

Along  these  cliffs  their  sombre  ruins  rear? 
What  though  no  frowning  tower  nor  temple  solemn 
Of  despots  tell  and  superstition  here — 

What  though  that  mouldering  fort's  fast  crumbling  walls 
Did  ne'er  enclose  a  baron's  bannered  halls. 

Its  sinking  arches  once  gave  back  as  proud 
An  echo  to  the  war-blown  clarion's  peal, 
As  gallant  hearts  its  battlements  did  crowd, 
As  ever  beat  beneath  a  vest  of  steel, 

When  herald's  trump  on  knighthood's  haughtiest  day 
Called  forth  chivalric  host  to  battle  fray. 

For  here  amid  these  woods  did  he  keep  court, 

Before  whose  mighty  soul  the  common  crowd 
Of  heroes,  who  alone  for  fame  have  fought. 

Are  like  the  patriarch's  sheaves  to  Heaven's  chosen  bowed — 
He  who  his  country's  eagle  taught  to  soar, 
And  fired  those  stars  which  shine  o'er  every  shore. 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  255 


And  sights  and  sounds  at  which  the  world  have  wonder'd 

Within  these  wild  ravines  have  had  their  birth ; 
Young  Freedom's  cannon  from  these  glens  have  thunder'd 
And  sent  their  startling  echoes  o'er  the  earth; 
And  not  a  verdant  glade  nor  mountain  hoary 
But  treasures  up  within  the  glorious  story. 

And  yet  not  rich  in  high-soul'd  memories  only, 

Is  every  moon-kiss'd  headland  round  me  gleaming, 
Each  cavern'd  glen  and  leafy  valley  lonely. 

And  silver  torrent  o'er  the  bald  rock  streaming: 
But  such  soft  fancies  here  may  breathe  around 
As  make  Vaucluse  and  Clarens  hallow'd  ground. 

There  was  something  more  than  the  ordinary  ties  of 
friendship  to  bind  Irving  and  Hoffman.  He  was  one 
of  that  nearer  circle  to  which  Matilda  belonged,  though 
at  the  time  of  her  death  he  was  but  four  years  old. 
On  one  occasion  Irving  speaks  of  him  in  a  letter  as 
"little  Charles."  In  early  boyhood  he  was  crippled 
for  life  by  being  crushed  between  a  river  steamboat 
and  the  w^harf ,  an  accident  that  may  have  driven  him 
to  more  diligent  study,  by  depriving  him  of  many  of 
the  active  sports  of  boyhood.  He  was  sent  to  the 
old  Poughkeepsie  Academy,  then  a  somewhat  famous 
school,  but  ran  away  because  of  alleged  harsh  treat- 
ment, and  prepared  for  college  under  private  tuition. 
He  entered  Columbia  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen,  leav- 
ing, however,  before  graduation. 

Having  studied  law  with  Mr.  Hermanus  Bleecker  of 
Albany,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  when  he  attained 
his  majority.  But  after  a  short  time  he  abandoned 
the  profession  of  the  law  for  the  more  alluring  pursuit 


256 


The  Hudson  River 


of  literature,  finding  in  the  new  field  a  congenial  em- 
|)loynient  for  ])owers  which,  if  not  great,  were  at  least 
of  a  high  order.  A  tour  of  the  West,  undertaken  in 
search  of  health,  furnished  material  for  numerous  con- 
trilnitions  to  The  American  and  other  magazines;  and 
these  were  afterwards  collected  into  one  or  two 
volumes.  The  Romance  of  Greyslaer  followed  after 
a  few  years,  and  several  books  of  prose  and  verse,  pub- 
lished at  intervals,  added  to  the  writer  s  reputation. 

Some  time  before  the  publication  of  Greyslaer,  Mr. 
Hoffman  commenced  the  afterwards  widely  known 
Knickerbocker  Magazine,  and  was  also  connected  at 
different  times  with  The  Mirror,  The  Literary  World, 
and  The  New  York  American  Magazine.  This  editorial 
work  threw  him  into  agreeable  relations  with  some  of 
the  most  brilliant  and  celebrated  men  of  his  day.  His 
familiar  associates  included  William  Cullen  Bryant, 
Chancellor  Kent,  Lewis  Gaylord  Clarke,  Colonel  Wil- 
liam Leete  Stone,  and  a  score  of  others,  some  of  whose 
names  have  a  prominent  place  in  this  chapter.  The 
honourary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was  conferred  upon 
him  by  Columbia  College,  his  companions  upon  that 
occasion  being  Bryant  and  Halleck. 

We  may  be  permitted  one  further  quotation  from 
this  representative  Hudson  River  poet.  It  is  from  a 
short  poem  called  Indian  Summer,  written  in  1828: 

Light  as  love's  smiles,  the  silvery  mist  at  morn 
Floats  in  loose  flakes  along  the  limpid  river; 

The  Vjlue  bird's  notes  upon  the  soft  breeze  borne, 
As  high  in  air  he  carols,  faintly  quiver; 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  257 


The  weeping  birch,  hke  banners  idly  waving, 
Bends  to  the  stream,  its  spicy  branches  laving; 

Beaded  with  dew,  the  witch  elm's  tassels  shiver; 
The  timid  rabbit  from  the  furze  is  peeping. 
And  from  the  springy  spray  the  squirrel 's  gaily  leaping. 

In  1850,  while  occupying  a  government  position  at 
Washington,  Hoffman  was  stricken  with  mental  dis- 
order, from  which  he  did  not  recover.  He  lived  in 
retirement  thirty-four  years,  outliving  his  companions 
and  his  fame. 

Fitz-Greene  Halleck,  whose  name  is  on  our  roster 

next  to  that  of  Paulding,  was  a  Connecticut  boy.  His 

first  visit  to  New  York  was  made  in  1808,  and  was  an 

event  to  which  the  metropolis  may  point  with  pride, 

for  no  native-born  son  of  Manhattan,  with  the  blood 

of  all  the  Dams  and  Bilts  and  Blinkers  in  his  veins, 

ever  became  more  intimately  associated  with  the  city. 

His  celebrated  friendship  for  Joseph  Rodman  Drake, — 

a  memory  embalmed  in  the  exquisite  tribute  of  verse 

that  he  paid  at  the  latter  s  death — commenced  in  181 3, 

when  the  future  author  of  Marco  Bozzaris  had  been 

two  years  away  from  his  Connecticut  skies.  Their 

joint  production  were  the  papers  signed  "  Croaker  and 

Co.,"  published  in  the  Evening  Post  in  1819.  That 

same  year,  Halleck  wrote  the  long  poem,  Fanny,  in 

which  occur  the  lines  on  Weehawken,  which  will  be 

found  in  another  chapter.    Almost  at  the  very  end  of 

his  long  life,  the  poet  wrote  from  Fort  Lee,  on  the 

Hudson,  to  Lewis  Gaylord  Clarke: 
17 


The  Hudson  River 


I  hope  thou  wilt  not  banish  hence 

These  few  and  fading  flowers  of  mine, 

But  let  their  theme  be  their  defence — 

The  love,  the  joy,  the  frankincense 
And  fragrance  of  Langsyne. 

Drake's  claim  to  association  with  the  Hudson  River 
rests  on  his  beantiful  and  imaginative  creation,  The 
Culprit  Fay,  which  was  composed  among  the  High- 
lands in  the  same  year  that  saw  the  production  of  the 
"  Croaker"  papers  and  of  Fanny.  The  story  goes  that 
while  walking  with  some  friends,  one  of  them  remarked 
to  the  poet  that,  without  the  introduction  of  human 
characters  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  to  write  a 
purely  imaginative  fairy  poem.  Drake  accepted  this 
as  a  challenge,  and  in  a  very  short  time  submitted  to 
his  associates  the  manuscript  of  the  work  upon  which 
rests  his  principal  title  to  fame. 

The  scheme  or  plot  of  The  Culprit  Fay  is  familiar. 
A  fairy  has  stained  his  wings  and  lost  the  light  of  his 
torch  by  falling  in  love  with  a  mortal  maid.  The  de- 
cree of  the  King  is  that  he  must  wash  the  stain  away 
with  a  drop  of  water,  caught  in  a  colen-bell  from  the 
spray  scattered  on  the  river  by  the  leap  of  a  sturgeon. 
The  torch  must  be  relighted  by  a  spark  from  a  meteor. 
Some  of  the  descriptions  are  exquisite,  as  in  the  lines: 

Onward  still  he  held  his  way, 

Till  he  came  w^here  the  column  of  moonshine  lay, 
And  saw  beneath  the  surface  dim 
The  brown-back'd  sturgeon  slowly  swim; 
Around  him  were  the  goblin  train — 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  259 


But  he  scuU'd  with  all  his  might  and  main, 

And  follow'd  wherever  the  sturgeon  led, 

Till  he  saw  him  upward  point  his  head; 

Then  he  dropp'd  his  paddle  blade, 

And  held  his  colen-goblet  up 

To  catch  the  drop  in  its  crimson  cup. 

With  sweeping  tail  and  quivering  fin, 

Through  the  wave  the  sturgeon  flew. 
And,  like  the  heaven-shot  javelin, 

He  sprung  above  the  waters  blue. 
Instant  as  the  star-fall  light. 

He  plunged  him  in  the  deep  again, 
But  left  an  arch  of  silver  bright, 

The  rainbow  of  the  moony  main. 
It  was  a  strange  and  lovely  sight 

To  see  the  puny  goblin  there ; 
He  seem'd  an  angel  form  of  light. 

With  azure  wing  and  sunny  hair, 
Throned  on  a  cloud  of  purple  fair. 

Circled  with  blue  and  edged  with  white, 
And  sitting  at  the  fall  of  even 

Beneath  the  bow  of  summer  heaven. 

A  moment,  and  its  lustre  fell; 

But  ere  it  met  the  billow  blue. 
He  caught  within  his  crimson  bell 

A  droplet  of  its  sparkling  dew — 
Joy  to  thee.  Fay!  thy  task  is  done; 
Thy  wings  are  pure,  for  the  gem  is  won. 
Cheerily  ply  thy  dripping  oar. 
And  haste  away  to  the  elfin  shore. 

It  was  once  the  fashion  among  admirers  of  Drake's 
dainty  work  to  place  the  author  upon  a  somewhat 
dizzy  pedestal.  More  than  one  has  compared  the 
lively  trochaic  tetrameter  that  concludes  The  Culprit 


26o 


The  Hudson  River 


Fay  with  Milton's  U allegro,  which  was  unquestionably 
its  inspiration.    This  is  Drake  s: 

Ouphe  and  goblin,  imp  and  sprite, 

Elf  of  eve  and  starry  Fay, 
Ye  that  love  the  moon's  soft  light 

Hither — hither  wend  your  way: 
Twine  ye  in  a  jocund  ring. 

Sing  and  trip  it  merrily, 
Hand  to  hand  and  wing  to  wing, 

Round  the  wild  witch-hazel  tree. 

Now  turn  to  Milton  and  read 

Haste  thee,  nymph,  and  bring  with  thee 
Jest  and  youthful  Jollity, 
Quips  and  cranks  and  wanton  wiles, 
Nods  and  becks  and  wreathed  smiles, 
Such  as  hang  on  Hebe's  cheek, 
And  love  to  live  in  dimple  sleek: 
Sport  that  wrinkled  care  derides. 
And  Laughter  holding  both  his  sides. 
Come,  and  trip  it  as  you  go 
On  the  light  fantastic  toe. 

Idle  wild  was  the  home  of  N.  P.  Willis,  that  versa- 
tile worker,  idler,  flaneur,  poet,  city  dandy,  and  coun- 
try gentleman,  who  made  no  deep  impression  by  his 
literary  labours,  but  is  nevertheless  vividly  remem- 
bered when  many  a  man  of  greater  power  is  forgotten. 
General  James  Grant  Wilson  wrote,  in  1886,  in  a  remi- 
niscent vein,  of  a  visit  to  the  scene  of  the  poet's  retire- 
ment at  Cornwall,  where  he  was  trying  to  recuperate 
the  strength  of  which  he  had  been,  from  his  youth  up, 
somewhat  of  a  spendthrift: 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  261 


It  was  on  a  sunny  summer's  morning  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember [wrote  Wilson]  that  we  landed  from  a  steamer  at  the 
wharf  known  as  Cornwall's  Landing.  We  then  wended  our  way 
to  a  picturesque,  many-gabled,  gothic  structure,  nestled  among 
luxurious  evergreens,  admirably  situated  in  the  plateau  north 
of  the  Highlands,  and  within  sound,  under  favourable  conditions 
of  the  weather,  of  the  evening  gun  at  West  Point. 

A  tall  and  elegant  figure,  with  rosy  cheeks  and  a  luxuriance  of 
clustering  hair,  which  upwards  of  sixty  winters  had  failed  to 
whiten,  enters  with  the  easy  grace  of  a  man  of  the  world,  and 
we  see  before  us  our  friend  the  master  of  the  mansion. 

W^e  sally  forth  to  see  his  loved  domain,  and  to  look  at  the 
extensive  and  varied  views  commanded  by  his  coign  of  vantage. 

Around  us  we  see  the  Storm  King  and  other  wooded  moun- 
tains, towering  to  a  height  of  nearly  two  thousand  feet:  the 
whole  river, — here  expanded  into  a  broad  bay,  on  whose  bosom 
the  white-sailed  sloops  and  schooners  are  idly  floating  with  the 
flood  tide:  and  on  the  opposite  shore  valleys  and  hillsides, 
sprinkled  with  country-seats ;  from  among  which  our  companion 
points  out  the  ancestral  home  of  the  venerable  Gulian  C.  Ver- 
planck,  and  the  summer  residences  of  other  mutual  New  York 
friends. 

Seated  on  the  grey  rocks,  Mr.  Willis  described  his  first  visit  to 
the  site  on  which  his  beautiful  home  stands : 

"It  was  one  of  the  roughest  pieces  of  uncultivated  land  that 
I  ever  looked  at;  but  it  had  capabilities.  I  saw  trees,  knolls, 
rocks,  and  this  ravine,  musical  with  water-falls,  and  looking  to 
the  south  a  noble,  wild  prospect,  as  Sam  Johnson  would  have 
said.  I  passed  over  the  rough  and  rocky  fifty  acres  with  the 
owner,  who  looked  his  astonishment  as  well  as  expressed  it,  that 
a  New  Yorker  should  have  any  use  for  his  unimproved  property. 
He  said,  'What  on  earth  can  you  do  with  it?  it  is  only  an  idle 
wild.'  I  did  not  tell  him,  but  I  bought  it  and  you  see  what  I 
have  done  with  it,  and  that  I  was  indebted  to  my  Dutch  prede- 
cessor for  a  very  pretty  and  appropriate  name." 

Irving,  Halleck,  and  numerous  other  friends  of  Wil- 
lis visited  him  at  Idlewild,  and  on  one  occasion,  when 


262 


The  Hudson  Rivxr 


he  had  been  there  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moses  H.  Grin- 
nell,  his  neighbours  at  Sunnyside,  Washington  Irving 
expressed  the  opinion  that  the  poet  s  cough  was  hkely 
to  prolong  his  life  by  making  him  more  careful  of  his 
health.  "  I  do  not  think  his  lungs  are  affected,"  was 
the  cheerful  diagnosis. 

The  reference  made  by  General  Wilson  to  the  dis- 
tant view  from  Idlew^ld  of  Gulian  C.  Verplanck  s  home 
suggests  the  strong  contrast  between  these  Highland 
neighbours.    Bryant  says  of  Verplanck: 

As  a  young  man  he  took  no  part  in  the  Cockloft  and  other 
froHcs  of  his  friends  Irving,  Paulding,  and  Kemble;  but  on  the 
contrary,  he  was  held  up  by  the  elder  men  of  the  period  as  an 
example  of  steady,  studious,  and  spotless  youth. 

Mr.  Verplanck  w^as  born  in  Wall  Street,  New  York, 
in  1786.  His  grandmother  was  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
Crommelin  of  Amsterdam,  and  by  her  the  boy,  mother- 
less from  infancy,  was  reared.  He  graduated  at  Col- 
umbia College  when  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
studied  law  with  Edward  Livingston,  being  finally 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
by  Chief- Justice  (afterwards  Chancellor)  Kent. 

Mr.  Verplanck  was  one  of  those  earnest  men,  of  many 
activities  and  tireless  energy,  who  undertake  seemingly 
incongruous  tasks  without  hesitation  and  perform  them 
with  credit.  Such  as  he  are  not  plentiful  in  any  gener- 
ation. His  first  public  appearance,  we  are  told,  was  as 
a  Fourth  of  July  orator.    A  year  or  two  later  we  find 


263 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  265 

him  in  trouble  with  Mayor  De  Witt  Clinton,  then  writ- 
ing political  articles,  satires  aimed  at  the  Mayor  and 
his  friends,  and  afterwards  contributing  to  Irving 's 
magazine.  The  Analcctic.  He  was  elected  to  the  As- 
sembly by  the  "Bucktail"  party,  and  while  still  a 
member  of  that  body  wrote  a  book  on  the  Uses  of  the 
Evidences  of  Revealed  Religion,  and  was  chosen  to  fill 
a  professorship  in  the  General  Theological  Seminary. 
Several  years  later.  New  York  elected  him  to  Congress, 
and  his  voice  was  heard  on  public  questions  with  no 
uncertain  sound.  After  his  retirement  from  political 
life,  he  gave  himself  devotedly  to  literary  pursuits,  and 
was  for  half  a  century  one  of  the  best  known  writers 
of  the  city. 

Space  would  fail  should  we  attempt  to  tell  of  his 
occupations  or  recount  his  honours.  He  was  Regent 
of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York;  member, 
and  afterwards  Warden,  of  the  Vestry  of  Trinity 
Church;  President  of  the  Century  Club;  President  of 
the  Board  of  Emigration;  and  chairman  of  various 
charitable  bodies.  To  the  task  of  editing  the  edition 
of  Shakespeare  that  bears  his  name,  he  added  that  of 
making  a  strenuous  and  successful  fight  for  the  exten- 
sion of  the  copyright  law  from  twenty-eight  to  forty- 
eight  years. 

An  entertaining  anecdote  of  Verplanck's  reception 
of  Irving 's  Knickerbocker  well  illustrates  the  temper  of 
his  mind.  In  1818,  during  an  address  before  the  New 
York  Historical  Society,  he  took  occasion  to  deprecate 


266 


The  Hudson  River 


the  injustice  done  to  the  Duteh  eharaeter  by  Knicker- 
boeker : 

It  is  painful  [he  said]  to  see  a  mind  as  admiral )le  for  its  exquis- 
ite perception  of  the  beautiful  as  it  is  for  its  quick  sense  of  the 
ridiculous  wasting  the  riches  of  its  fancy  on  an  ungrateful  theme, 
and  its  exuberant  humour  in  a  coarse  caricature. 

Commenting  on  this,  Irving  wrote  to  his  brother, 
Ebenezer : 

I  have  seen  what  Verplanck  says  of  my  work.    .    .    .  He 

is  one  of  the  honestest  men  I  know  of  in  speaking  his  opinion. 

I  am  sure  he  wishes  me  well  .  .  .  but  were  I  his 
bitterest  enemy,  such  an  opinion  have  I  of  his  integrity  of  mind, 
that  I  would  refer  any  one  to  him  for  an  honest  account  of  me, 
sooner  than  to  almost  any  one  else. 

Mr.  Verplanck 's  ancestral  home  was  at  Fishkill-on- 
the-Hudson.  There  his  last  years  were  spent  under 
the  roof  that  his  grandfather  erected;  and  there  he 
died,  a  sober-minded  man  of  many  gifts.  His  friends 
included  nearly  all  of  the  literary  men  of  his  day,  and 
no  citizen  was  more  honoured. 

George  P.  Morris,  the  Dear  Morris"  of  so  many  of 
Willis's  "  hurrygraphs  "  and  letters  from  various  places, 
belongs  particularly  to  the  Hudson.  Near  the  village 
of  Coldspring,  his  "  summer  seat"  (as  it  used  to  be  the 
fashion  to  call  one's  country  home),  commanded  a 
noble  view  of  the  Highlands,  and  was  the  goal  of  many 
a  pilgrimage.  "America's  best  lyric  poet,"  as  Benson 
J.  Lossing  calls  him,  was  in  intimate  relations  with 
most  American  men  of  letters  in  his  day.    His  long 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  269 

association  with  The  Home  Journal,  together  with  the 
wide  popularity  of  his  songs,  made  Morris's  name  a 
household  word  wherever  our  somewhat  embryonic 
literature  found  its  way. 

One  of  the  best  descriptive  stanzas  b}^  a  Hudson 
River  poet  was  inspired  by  Morris's  memory  of  his 
home  in  the  Highlands: 

Where  Hudson's  wave  o'er  silvery  sands 

Winds  through  the  hills  afar, 
Old  cro'nest  like  a  monarch  stands, 

Crowned  with  a  single  star. 

One  needs  only  to  consult  Griswold's  Poets  of  Amer- 
ica, the  best  anthology  of  half  a  century  ago,  to  appre- 
ciate the  fact  that,  with  few  exceptions,  sweetness 
rather  than  strength  characterised  even  the  best  of  the 
work  of  our  native  poets;  while  in  prose  the  names  of 
Prescott,  Cooper,  Hawthorne,  and  Irving  stood  like 
towers  upon  a  flowery  plain, 

A  man  greatly  valued  by  his  literary  cotemporaries 
and  hand  in  glove  with  the  leading  spirits  of  the  Knick- 
erbocker school  was  that  delightful  humourist,  Fred- 
erick Swartwout  Cozzens,  author  of  the  Spar  row  grass 
Papers.  He  was  younger  than  Irving  and  Halleck,  of 
the  generation  to  which  Willis  and  Hoffman  belonged; 
a  New  Yorker  by  birth  and  a  wine  merchant  by  occu- 
pation. 

The  S parr owgr ass  Papers,  which  were  exaggerated 
accounts  of  his  experiences  at  his  country  home, 
Chestnut  Cottage,  in  Yonkers,  were  published  first 


The  Iluclson  Ri\cr 


in  Piit)iani\s^  MojitJily,  and  were  immediately  ap])re- 
ciated  as  the  work  of  a  true  humourist.  Cozzens  ])ub- 
lished  a  number  of  fugitive  pieces,  both  in  prose  and 
verse,  and  was  the  writer  of  several  books,  but  he  will 
be  remembered  as  the  author  of  the  Sparrowgrass 
Papers. 

His  fame  was  not  merely  local.  Thackeray,  w^ho 
loved  a  humourist  with  fraternal  affection,  was  his 
friend  and  correspondent.  Halleck,  writing  to  General 
Wilson  in  1867,  says:  "  I  have  long  more  than  fancied, 
I  have  felt,  that  Mr.  Cozzens,  in  that  department  of 
genius  to  which  Mr.  Irving's  Knickerbocker  belongs,  is 
the  best,  or  among  the  best  writers  of  our  time  in  any 
language."  This  was  apropos  of  the  work  called  The 
Sayings  of  Doctor  Bushwacker,  which,  in  spite  of  Hal- 
leck's  eulogium,  is  hardly  known  to  a  generation  of 
readers  that  still  cherishes  Knickerbocker  as  one  of  the 
bright  examples  of  American  genius. 

We  cannot  long  dwell  with  the  Knickerbocker  group 
without  coming  in  close  contact  with  the  patient  col- 
lector of  every  printed  scrap  of  American  writing. 
Evart  Augustus  Duyckinck,  compiler,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  his  brother,  of  the  monumental  cyclopedia 
that  bears  his  name,  was  the  preserver  of  many  a  local 
reputation.  There  are  numberless  early  American  au- 
thors who  were  only  rescued  from  drowning  in  the  sea 
of  oblivion  by  being  forcibly  dragged  into  Duyckinck 's 
literary  life -boat.  He  had  out  a  drag-net  that  seemed 
not  to  have  missed  even  the  smallest  fry;  but  he  was 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  271 

not  the  less  appreciative  of  the  merits  of  the  abler  men 
of  successive  generations,  and  was  in  close  friendship 
with  nearly  all  those  of  his  own  time.  Mr.  Duyck- 
inck  s  biographer  writes  of  him  as  a  scholar  of  sin- 
gularly pure  and  stainless  character."  He  also  was  a 
lawyer  as  well  as  a  student  and  man  of  letters,  and 
was  a  "  Hudson- Riverite  "  by  virtue  of  long  residence. 
His  grave  lies  in  the  Sleepy  Hollow  Cemetery,  at  Tarry- 
town,  a  short  distance  to  the  north-west  of  Washington 
Irving 's  plot. 

For  a  number  of  years  subsequent  to  1847, 
Duyckinck  conducted  The  Literary  World.  There  was, 
however,  an  intermission  of  one  year  in  his  editorial 
labours,  during  which  Hoffman  was  in  charge  of  the 
paper.  The  Literary  World  was  established  by  Duyck- 
inck and  his  brother,  and  was  considered  by  the  poet 
Dana  to  be  the  best  journal  of  its  kind  ever  published 
in  America.  One  of  the  bibliographer's  associates  and 
warm  admirers  was  William  Allen  Butler,  the  author 
of  Nothing  to  Wear,  who  pronounced  an  eulogy  upon 
his  memory  at  a  meeting  of  the  New  York  Historical 
Society  in  1879.  Butler,  himself  a  member  of  the 

bar,  was  of  a  well-known  Hudson  River  family.  His 
father  was  Benjamin  F.  Butler  of  Albany,  in  whose 
office  Martin  Van  Buren  studied  law. 

The  pages  of  Duyckinck,  Griswold,  and  other  edi- 
tors disclose  names  once  fragrant,  but  now  withered 
as  the  handful  of  pressed  rose  petals  that  flutter  out, 
leaving  a  faint,  ghostly  impression  and  a  fleeting,  musky 


272 


The  Hudson  River 


pcrfunic.  There,  for  instanee,  we  find  referenee  to  James 
Gordon  Brooks,  who  was  born  in  1801,  at  Claveraek,  in 
CohmilMa  County.  He  studied  kiw  at  Poughkee|)sie 
and  passed  most  of  his  hfe  at  Albany,  where  he  de- 
voted mueh  of  his  time  to  Hterary  labour.  It  is  said 
of  him  that,  "half  a  eentury  ago  the  now-forgotten 
singer's  name  was  one  of  the  brightest  poetieal  names 
of  the  day,  and  always  mentioned  along  with  those  of 
Bryant,  Dana,  Halleck,  Pereivale,  Pierpont,  Pinekney, 
Sprague,  and  Woodworth. "  Leggett,  in  his  Biographies 
of  American  Poets,  ineluded  Brooks  and  excluded 
Dana. 

Another  early  poet,  once  of  considerable  celebrity, 
but  long  since  forgotten,  was  Henry  Pickering.  He 
was  born  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  at 
Newburgh,  in  the  house  which  is  now  known  as  Wash- 
ington's Headquarters.  His  own  description  of  that 
house  may  be  appropriately  quoted  here : 

Square  and  rough-hewn,  and  solid  is  the  mass, 
And  ancient,  if  aught  ancient  here  appear. 
Beside  yon  rock-ribb'd  hills:  but  many  a  year 

Hath  into  dim  oblivion  swept,  alas! 

Since  bright  in  arms,  the  worthies  of  the  land 
Were  here  assembled.    Let  me  reverent  tread; 
For  now,  meseems,  the  spirits  of  the  dead 

Are  slowly  gathering  round,  while  I  am  fann'd 

By  gales  unearthly.    Ay,  they  hover  near — 
Patriots  and  Heroes — the  august  and  great — 
The  founders  of  a  young  and  mighty  state. 

Whose  grandeur  who  shall  tell?    With  holy  fear, 

While  tears  unbidden  my  dim  eyes  suffuse, 

I  mark  them  one  by  one,  and  marvelling  muse. 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  273 

I  gaze,  but  they  have  vanish'd;  and  the  eye, 
Free  now  to  roam  from  where  I  take  my  stand, 
Dwells  on  the  hoary  pile,  let  no  rash  hand 
Attempt  its  desecration :  for  though  I 
Beneath  the  sod  shall  sleep,  and  memory's  sigh 
Be  there  for  ever  stifled  in  this  breast, — 
Yet  all  who  boast  them  of  a  land  so  blest. 
Whose  pilgrim  feet  may  some  day  hither  hie, — 
Shall  melt,  alike,  and  kindle  at  the  thought 

That  these  rude  walls  have  echoed  to  the  sound 
Of  the  great  Patriot's  voice'  that  even  the  ground 
I  tread  was  trodden  too  by  him  who  fought 
To  make  us  free;  and  whose  unsullied  name. 
Still,  like  the  sun,  illustrious  shines  the  same. 

Henry  Rowe  Schoolcraft,  of  Irving 's  generation,  was 
a  native  of  the  very  Dutch  town  of  Albany,  though  of 
English  ancestry.  His  books  cover  a  wide  field  of 
travel,  history,  and  scientific  research,  but  it  was  par- 
ticularly in  the  field  of  ethnology  that  he  excelled,  and 
his  monumental  works  relating  to  the  history,  mode 
of  life,  and  traditions  of  various  Indian  tribes  have 
given  him  a  permanent  place  among  great  American 
investigators.  But  we  cannot  accord  to  Schoolcraft 
any  prominent  place  in  the  literary  associations  of  the 
Hudson,  for  his  work  was  mainly  the  result  of  thirty 
years  of  sojourn  and  study  among  the  redskins  upon 
the  frontier. 

John  Romeyn  Brodhead,  the  patient  compiler  of  the 
ten  great  tomes  that  contain  transcripts  of  all  discov- 
erable documents  relating  to  the  early  history  of  New 
A^ork,  was  born  in  Saugerties.  He  ransacked  the  lib- 
raries of  The  Hague  and  of  London,  scenting  an  old 
18 


274  The  HlkIsoii  Rixcr 

document  with  the  unerrini^  sense  of  a  true  bookworm, 
and  comin^i;-  home  at  last  laden  with  wonderful  si)oil. 
To  his  stupendous  work  v^c  ha\'e  been  indebted  for 
many  of  the  facts  contained  in  the  early  ])ages  of  this 
volume. 

When  a  great  impulse  was  given  to  l^otanical  study 
by  the  group  of  scientists,  of  which  Linnaeus  was  the 
most  distinguished  member,  the  New  World  became  a 
fruitful  field  for  original  research.  John  Bartram  of 
Philadelphia,  Mark  Catesby  in  the  Carolinas,  John 
Clayton  in  \"irginia,  John  Logan  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
near  a  dozen  others  dug  the  fields,  delved  among  the 
rocks,  and  explored  the  forests  in  search  of  the  un- 
classed  flora  of  America.  At  the  same  time,  New 
York  presented  her  champion  in  the  person  of  the  dis- 
tinguished citizen,  Cadwallader  Golden.  He  lived  near 
Newburgh  in  the  early  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
devoting  himself  assiduously  to  the  study  of  botany. 
At  his  place,  which  he  named  Coldenham,  he  spent  the 
delightful  leisure  years  of  a  life  that  had  known,  and 
was  destined  to  know,  many  activities.  There  he  col- 
lected, cultivated,  and  classified  plants,  assisted  by  his 
daughter,  of  w^hom  Peter  CoUinson  wrote  to  Linnaeus 
that  she  w^as  "perhaps  the  first  lady  who  has  so  per- 
fectly studied  your  system.  She  deserves  to  be  cele- 
brated." 

Cadw^allader  Golden,  whose  full  name  was  afterw^ards 
shared  by  his  no  less  famous  grandson,  w^as  a  success- 
ful physician  of  Philadelphia  from  1708  to  1718,  when 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  277 

he  removed  to  New  York.  After  filUng  several  pubhc 
offices,  among  them  that  of  Surveyor-General,  he  was 
appointed  Lieutenant-Governor  in  1761,  and,  as  the 
political  lives  of  his  immediate  superiors  were  usually 
brief,  he  became,  by  virtue  of  his  experience  and  great 
ability,  practically  the  chief  executive  of  the  State  for 
fifteen  years.  He  was  the  author  of  several  books,  the 
most  important  one  being  a  History  of  the  Five  Nations 
of  Canada.  He  did  not  survive  the  Revolution,  his 
death  occurring  a  short  time  after  the  battle  of  Har- 
lem Heights.  He  died  in  Long  Island  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years. 

A  century  later,  another  celebrity  among  nature 
students  lived  near  the  shore  of  the  river,  not  many 
miles  from  Coldenham.  Many  an  elderly  man  will 
remember  with  pleasure  and  no  small  degree  of  grati- 
tude America  s  first  landscape-gardener, — first  in  emi- 
nence if  not  in  time, — Andrew  Jackson  Downing.  He 
had  two  qualities  that  are  not  always  combined  in  one 
individual,  namely,  artistic  sensibility  and  practical 
sense.  The  latter  enabled  him  to  make  the  former 
effective.  Before  his  day  we  are  led  to  believe  that  in 
the  laying  out  of  rural  estates,  grotesque  and  chaotic 
arrangement  of  natural  material  was  the  rule  rather 
than  the  exception.  Mr.  Downing  not  only  possessed 
taste  and  sense,  but  he  managed  to  impart  them  to 
others,  and  in  the  exercise  of  his  chosen  profession 
became  widely  and  favourably  known,  especially  to 
residents  of  the  Hudson  River  tow^ns. 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


His  l)()()ks  were  .1  Trccitisc  on  the  Theory  ami  Prac- 
tice oj  Laihlscape  (7aniem'jii!^  and  Fruit  ami  h^rnit  Trees 
0}  A))ierica,  botli  of  them  widel\'  read.  He  was  for 
some  time  the  editor  of  TJic  Horttcultttralist,  pubUshed 
in  Albany.  Mr.  Downing  was  one  of  those  who  met 
death  on  the  steamer  Henry  Clay,  that  was  burned  at 
Riverdale  in  1852. 

From  1830  to  1842,  w^hile  the  Knickerbocker  au- 
thors were  still  many  of  them  in  the  hey-day  of  their 
powers,  and  a  new  generation  of  writers  were  just  com- 
mencing to  be  heard,  Dr.  George  W.  Bethune  was  the 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Rhinebeck.  He 
will  be  remembered  as  a  scholarly  man  of  sweet,  rare 
character.  His  contributions  to  Christian  hymnology 
possibly  constitute  his  chief  claim  to  remembrance, 
though  he  devoted  nearly  twenty  years  of  his  life  to 
public  speaking  and  writing.  While  James  K.  Polk 
was  President,  Doctor  Bethune  was  offered  the  ap- 
pointment to  the  chair  of  Moral  Philosophy  at  AVest 
Point,  which  he  felt  obliged  to  decline,  as  he  also  did 
the  chancellorship  of  New  York  Universit}^  to  which 
he  was  chosen  as  the  successor  of  Mr.  Frelinghuysen. 
He  lived  just  long  enough  to  make  a  stirring  address 
at  the  great  Union  meeting,  held  in  New  York  on  the 
20th  of  April,  1 86 1,  departing  soon  after  that  to  Italy, 
where  he  died. 

The  name  of  Alfred  B.  Street  belongs  to  the  Hud- 
son. He  was  born  at  Poughkeepsie,  passed  many 
years  of  his  life  in  Albany,  was  descended  from  an  old 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  279 


Hudson  River  family, — the  Livingstons, — and  did  not 
neglect  to  celebrate  with  his  pen  the  wilder  beauties 
of  his  native  region.  Streets  poems,  ])articularly 
those  dealing  with  the  sterner  aspects  of  nature,  gave 
him  an  early  rank  among  the  best  American  poets.  In 
his  day,  among  both  poets  and  painters,  there  was  a 
painstaking  fashion  of  presenting  minutiae.  Breadth 
of  effect  was  apt  to  be  sacrificed  to  delicacy  of  detail. 
He  wrote  as  artists  of  his  day  painted;  every  leaf  on 
every  last  twig  was  described  with  conscientious  care. 

His  almost  passionate  love  for  nature  was  retained 
through  the  cares  and  activities  of  professional  life, 
and  the  influence  of  the  wild,  rugged  scenery  amidst 
which  several  years  of  his  boyhood  were  passed  never 
deserted  him.  He  loved  to  sing  of  "  sweet  forest 
odours"  that 

Have  their  birth 

From  the  clothed  boughs  and  teeming  earth ; 

Where  pine-cones  dropp'd,  leaves  piled  and  dead, 
Long  tufts  of  grass,  and  stars  of  fern, 
With  many  a  wild  flower's  fairy  urn, 

A  thick,  elastic  carpet  spread; 
Here,  with  its  mossy  pall,  the  trunk. 
Resolving  into  soil,  is  sunk; 
There,  wrench'd  but  lately  from  its  throne, 

By  some  fierce  whirlwind  circling  past, 
Its  huge  roots  mass'd  with  earth  and  stone, 

One  of  the  woodland  kings  is  cast. 

Street  wrote  many  biographies  and  descriptive 
works.    The  Indian  Pass,  already  referred  to,  and 


28o 


The  Hiulson  RWcv 


Pictures  in  tJic  Adirondacks  were  published  in  1869.  He 
was  for  iiKuiy  years  State  Librarian,  dying  in  1881. 

Among  all  the  writers  to  whom  our  ])en  has  ])ointed 
(veering  madh'  as  a  weathercock  on  a  March  day  or  a 
needle  amidst  a  hundred  electric  ]xiints),  none  has  a 
stronger  claim  to  Hudson  River  celebrity  than  wSusan 
and  Anna  B.  Warner.  While  others  have  lived  u])on 
one  bank  or  the  other  of  the  river,  they  have  spent 
their  lives  almost  in  the  midst  of  it,  on  an  island  in 
the  very  wonderland  of  the  Highlands. 

Henry  Warner,  a  member  of  the  New  York  bar, 
removed  to  Constitution  Island  with  his  family  before 
the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century.  An  old  house, 
occupied  as  headquarters  during  the  Revolution,  was 
added  to  and  partly  rebuilt  by  him,  and  is  still  the 
residence  of  his  surviving  daughter,  Miss  Anna  B. 
Warner. 

Susan  Warner,  to  quote  the  words  of  Evert  Duyck- 
inck,  ''made  a  sudden  step  into  eminence  as  a  writer, 
by  the  publication,  in  1849,  of  The  Wide,  Wide  World, 
a  novel  in  two  volumes.  It  is  a  story  of  x\merican 
domestic  life,  written  in  an  easy  and  somewhat  diffuse 
style."  The  Wide,  Wide  World  was  soon  followed  by 
Queechy,  and  this  by  a  theological  work  called  The 
Law  and  the  Testimony.  Her  earlier  writings  were 
published  over  the  pen  name  of  Elizabeth  Wetherell. 
Duyckinck  did  not  tell  the  half  when  he  said  that  Miss 
Warner  made  a  sudden  step  into  eminence  by  the  pub- 
lication of  her  first  novel.    During  the  first  ten  years 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  281 

over  one  hundred  thousand  copies  were  sold  of  the 
American  edition,  a  record  which,  bearing  in  mind  the 
Umited  pubHc  of  the  day,  was  noteworthy,  and  it  has 
remained  in  steady  demand  during  the  half  century 
since  its  first  issue.  Some  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
copies  were  sold  in  European  editions,  which  brought 
to  the  writer  fame,  if  not  wealth. 

The  sisters  frequently  worked  together.  The 
younger,  who  had  chosen  Amy  Lathrop  as  her  lit- 
erary title,  made  her  bow  to  the  reading  public  with 
a  novel  called  Dollars  and  Cents;  but  she  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  elder  Miss  Warner  in  the  production  of 
The  Hills  of  the  Shatemuc,  the  title  being  one  of  the 
Indian  names  for  the  Hudson  River.  Some  of  the 
most  successful  and  delightful  of  Miss  Anna  Warner  s 
books  have  been  written  for  juvenile  readers. 

But  there  has  been  a  work,  self-imposed  and  long 
continued,  in  which  the  world  of  publishers  and  readers 
have  had  no  part,  that  give  to  the  Warner  sisters  an 
almost  pre-eminent  claim  to  recognition  in  this  chap- 
ter. It  is  probable  for  nearly  a  generation  not  a  class 
has  gone  out  from  West  Point  that  has  not  in  some 
measure  been  moulded  by  the  influence  of  these  gifted 
women.  Year  after  year  it  was  their  custom  to  wel- 
come a  group  of  cadets  from  the  National  Academy 
for  religious  instruction  every  Sunday  afternoon,  a 
favoured  few  remaining  sometimes  to  partake  of  their 
hospitality. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  there  is  hardly  an  officer  in  the 


282 


1  he  Hudson  River 


regular  army  of  the  United  States  to-day  to  whom 
the  name  of  the  two  sisters  is  not  famihar,  and  the 
im])ression  of  their  work  has  gone  wherever  the  flag 
has  gone. 

When  Aliss  Susan  Warner  died,  in  1885,  the  Go\'- 
ernment,  u]:>on  s])eeial  appHcation  of  the  eadets,  per- 
mitted her  burial  in  the  military  cemetery  at  the 
Point, — an  honour,  it  is  said,  never  granted  to  any 
other  woman.  Miss  Anna  Warner  still  carries  on 
the  work  that  her  sister  laid  down  nearly  eighteen 
years  ago. 

How  they  come  crowding,  the  names  of  those  who 
belong,  if  not  under  the  very  central  dome  of  our  Hall 
of  FamiC,  at  least  within  its  ample  corridors!  There, 
for  instance,  are  the  Primes:  the  Rev.  Dr.  Nathaniel 
Scudder  Prime,  the  father  of  many  well-known  sons 
and  author  of  several  hardly  remembered  books,  was 
Principal  of  the  Female  Academy  at  Sing  Sing  in  1830, 
and  afterwards  continued  the  same  occupation  at 
Poughkeepsie.  Samuel  Irenaeus,  afterwards  the  editor 
of  the  New  York  Observer,  w^as  associated  with  him  in 
his  educational  work.  Edward  D.  w^as  also  of  the 
Observer;  and  William  C,  at  one  time  connected  w^th 
the  Journal  of  Commerce,  is  widely  known  as  one  of 
the  most  entertaining  writers  of  travel  in  foreign  lands 
that  America  has  produced. 

All  the  world  knows  that  Henry  Ward  Beecher  made 
his  summer  home  at  Peekskill.  His  great  personality 
makes  him  a  national  figure,  to  whom  it  is  impossible 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  285 

to  assign  merely  local  limits;  but  the  writer  likes  to 
recall  a  walk  over  one  of  the  rough  Highland  roads, 
while,  beside  him,  leading  his  horse  by  the  reins,  the 
great  orator  forgot  his  greatness  to  talk  in  a  wise, 
sweet  way  of  wayside  things. 

Mrs.  Fremont — Jessie  Benton  Fremont — used  to  live 
just  above  Tarry  town,  and  the  house  that  was  General 
Fremont's  had  formerly  been  the  home  of  James  Wat- 
son Webb,  the  well-known  journalist. 

Benson  J.  Lossing,  himself,  next  to  Irving,  the  ablest 
and  most  delightful  chronicler  the  Hudson  has  had, 
was  a  resident  of  Poughkeepsie.  His  work.  The  Hud- 
son, was  first  published  serially  in  an  English  periodi- 
cal, being  brought  out  in  book  form  in  America  just 
after  the  Civil  War. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Storm  King  seems  to  have 
been  particularly  attractive  to  literary  workers.  A 
mile  or  two  south  of  I  die  wild,  in  her  delightful  cottage 
of  Cherry  Croft,  Mrs.  Amelia  E.  Barr  evolves  the  books 
that  have  made  her  the  friend  of  most  of  the  girls  in 
America.  Her  workroom  is  in  the  tower  that  com- 
mands a  view  that  an  eagle  might  envy, — a  view  of 
river  and  hill,  farmland  and  town, — that  melts  at  last 
in  a  horizon  that  is  sixty  miles  distant.  Next  door 
to  Cherry  Croft  is  Julian  Hawthorne's  summer  home, 
and  nearer  the  foot  of  the  hill  lives  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott, 
at  whose  house,  it  need  hardly  be  suggested,  Hamilton 
Weight  Mabie  is  a  familiar  visitor.  Mr.  Mabie  is  him- 
self a  Hudson  River  man,  in  his  youth  a  resident  of 


286 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


Tarrytown,  where  his  earhest  Hterar\'  as])irations  were 
fostered  by  congenial  associates.  Of  the  httle  coterie 
whose  comradeship  has  not  been  without  an  influence 
upon  his  subsequent  career,  no  name  is  more  ])romi- 
nently  suggested  than  that  of  Marshal  H.  Bright,  the 
able  editor  of  Christian  Work. 

John  Burroughs  has  what  Bradford  Torrey  would 
call  a  rambler  s  lease,  that  covers  half  the  country 
above  the  Highlands.  He  can  vie  with  old  "Sherd" 
Minnerly,  who  "  knew  all  the  fish  in  the  river  by  their 
Christian  names,"  in  that  he  is  intimate  with  all  the 
feathered  creatures  that  nest  on  the  shores.  His  own 
stated  residence  is  a  properly  constituted  country 
home,  where  he  raises  the  best  Niagara  grapes  that 
come  into  the  market;  but,  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of 
a  born  woodsman,  he  has  built  for  retiring  a  less  pre- 
tentious nest,  which  he  calls  Slabsides,  a  little  "city 
where  nobody  lives,"  and  the  number  of  those  who 
find  it  are  few. 

Stephen  Henry  Thayer,  long  a  resident  of  Tarry- 
town,  has  given  us,  in  many  a  sweet  transcript,  the 
voices  of  the  woods  and  waters  of  vSleepy  Hollow.  His 
lines  upon  the  Xyack  bells,  heard  at  evening  on  the 
opposite  shore  of  the  Tappan  Zee,  are  peculiarly  ten- 
der in  sentiment : 

The  lurking  shadows,  dim  and  mute, 

Fall  vaguely  on  the  dusky  river; 
Vexed  breezes  play  a  phantom  lute, 

Athwart  the  waves  that  curl  and  quiver: 


Literary  Associations  of  the  Hudson  287 


And  hedged  against  an  amber  light, 
The  lone  hills  cling,  in  vain  endeavor, 

To  touch  the  curtained  clouds  of  night, 
That,  weird-like,  form  and  fade  for  ever. 


Then  break  upon  the  blessed  calm, — 
Deep,  dying  melodies  of  even, — 

Those  Nyack  bells;  like  some  sweet  psalm 
They  float  along  the  fields  of  heaven. 


Now  laden  with  a  nameless  balm. 

Now  musical  with  song  thou  art ; 
I  tune  thee  by  an  inward  charm, 

And  make  thee  minstrel  of  my  heart. 

O  bells  of  Nyack,  faintly  toll 

Across  the  starry-lighted  sea, 
Thy  murmurs  thrill  a  thirsty  soul. 

And  wing  a  heavenly  hymn  to  me. 

There  is  not  space  to  mention  all.  We  have  with 
us  as  this  is  written,  Doctor  David  Cole,  at  Yonkers,  a 
veteran  in  educational  work,  in  pulpit  work,  in  histori- 
cal work;  Joel  Benton  at  Poughkeepsie ;  Harrold  Van 
Santvoord  at  Kinderhook.  We  remember  that  E.  P. 
Roe,  when  he  was  "  Driven  Back  to  Eden,"  found  the 
delectable  mountains  of  that  blessed  country  above  the 
Highlands,  with  John  Burroughs  established  as  a  sort 
of  titular  angel  to  show  him  the  glories  of  the  land. 

General  Adam  Badeau,  the  biographer  of  General 
Grant,  was  a  Tarry townian  by  birth,  and  in  his  youth 
edited  a  lively  little  paper  called  the  Pocantico  Gazette, 


The  Hudson  River 


which  was  devoted  mainly  to  local  matters.  The  Rev. 
Charles  Rockwell,  who  signed  himself  "  Dutch  Domine 
of  the  Catskills,"  ])ul)lished,  about  thirty  years  ago,  a 
\'er\'  charming  book  relating  to  that  region,  to  which 
we  are  indebted  for  valuable  material. 

From  mouth  to  source,  from  the  last  stone  of  the 
Battery  to  the  first  spring  that  wells  in  Indian  Pass, 
the  Hudson  is  replete  with  literary  associations,  and 
these  crowding  memories  enrich  it  beyond  measure. 
Already  it  begins  to  take  rank  among  the  storied  rivers 
of  the  world,  and  the  Thames  and  the  Seine,  the  Rhine 
and  the  Nile  admit  it  to  their  fellowship. 


Chapter  XVII 


Around  Haverstraw  Bay 


w 


ITH  many  a  pleasant  point  and  bay,  the 
river  shore  used  to  stretch  between 
Tarry  town  and  Ossining,  but  now  that 


undulating  line  has  been  almost  straightened  by  the 
tracks  of  the  New  York  Central  road.  The  station 
at  Scarborough  is  an  isolated  building,  an  outpost 
for  the  village  that  lies  eastward  over  the  hill.  In  the 
distance  one  sees  a  massive  group  of  low,  marble 
buildings,  the  melancholy  residence  of  convicts, — it  is 
the  State  prison  at  Sing  Sing. 

It  is  natural,  but  unfortunate,  that  the  fair  fame  of  one 
of  the  most  attractive  of  Hudson  River  towns  should 
for  years  have  been  damaged  by  such  an  ogre  squatting 
at  its  very  gates.  Nor  is  it  surprising  that  there  has 
been  a  resolute  and  recently  successful  effort  to  change 
the  name  of  the  village  from  Sing  Sing  to  Ossining. 

Ossining  is  a  corruption  of  Ossin-sing,  an  Indian 
name,  which,  according  to  Schoolcraft,  signified  sing- 
ing stones."  The  brook  which  ran  through  the  place 
was  "Sint  Sink,"  and  the  village,  according  to  the  old 
maps,  ''Sink  Sink." 


290 


The  Hudson  River 


The  land  here  rises  ahiiost  abru])tly  from  the  river, 
reaching  with  the  first  half  mile  an  altitude  of  three 
hundred  feet  al)ove  tide  level.  The  plateau  above  is 
the  residence  i)ortion  of  the  place  and  very  attractive. 
Long  ago,  when  New  York  was  still  a  British  posses- 
sion and  Sing  Sing  a  i)art  of  the  mammoth  estate  that 
owned  the  sw^ay  of  the  Philipse  family,  silver  and  cop- 
per were  sought  in  the  neighbourhood.  A  mine  was 
worked  where  the  prison  now  stands,  the  shaft  having 
been  ,  within  a  few^  yards  of  the  north  w^all.  Not  far 
away,  at  the  mouth  of  the  kill  that  finds  its  w-ay  to 
the  Hudson,  through  a  deep  gore,  from  the  plateau 
above,  the  smelting  furnace  was  erected.  There  the 
ore  was  reduced,  the  precious  metal  being  shipped  to 
England.  The  Revolution  put  a  stop  to  the  opera- 
tions of  the  mine,  which  seems  never  to  have  been 
reopened.  At  the  time  of  its  abandonment,  the  length 
of  the  works  is  said  to  have  reached  one  hundred  and 
tw^ent}^  feet. 

According  to  Bolton,  the  historian  of  Westchester 
County,  Colonel  James,  who  was  superintending  the 
mine,  had  command  of  a  regiment  stationed  at  Sing 
Sing  in  1774.  At  the  commencement  of  hostilities  it 
was  ordered  to  Boston.  According  to  certificates 
signed  and  sworn  to  by  several  reputable  citizens,  the 
mine  was  a  very  rich  one  and  was  worked  with  energy 
to  the  last ;  but  modern  attempts  to  revive  the  silver 
dream  have  not  been  successful. 

Immediately  after  the  Revolution,  according  to  an- 


Around  Haverstraw  Bay 


293 


other  authority,  there  were  only  three  dwelHng-houses 
in  Sing  Sing.  Moses  Ward  had  a  stone  house  that  was 
also  a  fort,  abotit  where  the  intersection  of  Main 
Street  and  the  Croton  aqueduct  occurs.  There  were 
even  in  his  day  numerous  Indians  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, but  they  seem  to  have  been  generally  peaceful 
fishermen.  Many  of  them,  it  is  said,  found  their  lodg- 
ing in  what  used  to  be  known  as  the  Great  Kill  cave, 
near  the  brook  already  referred  to. 

Years  ago,  Sing  Sing  was  the  terminal  station  for 
the  stages  that  ran  on  the  Bedford  Pike.  Hachaliah 
Bailey  of  Somers,  who  had  a  stage  route  between  New 
York  and  Danbury,  Conn.,  made  the  Bedford  Pike 
line  a  connecting  link  between  the  latter  place  and  his 
steamboat,  the  John  Jay,  that  touched  at  the  Sing 
Sing  wharf.  This  satisfied  the  popular  conception  of 
rapid  transit,  before  the  days  of  the  railroads. 

Ossining  has  long  been  noted  for  its  excellent  schools. 
One  or  two  military  academies  and  a  girls'  seminary 
have  had  for  many  years  a  more  than  local  reputation. 

The  northern  boundary  of  the  village  is  the  Croton 
River,  important  as  a  tributary  to  the  lower  Hudson, 
but  still  more  so  as  the  sole  source  of  the  water  supply 
of  New  York  City  for  more  than  a  generation. 

The  Indians  called  the  stream  Kitchawan,  and  so  it 
is  named  in  the  old  land  grants.  The  mouth  of  the 
stream  is  crossed  by  a  drawbridge  belonging  to  the 
railroad.  Not  far  above  is  the  reser\'oir  from  which 
the  ''old"  Croton  aqueduct  carries  the  water  to  the 


294  The  Hudson  River 

city.  Its  ca])acity  is  r 00,000,000  gallons  a  dav,  but 
this  su])])ly  w:is  found  to  be  inadcc[uate  for  the  ra])idly 
growing  eity,  and  a  new  ac[ueduct,  commenced  in  1884 
and  finished  in  1890,  was  constructed  to  the  east  of  the 
earlier  one.  This  has  a  capacity  three  times  as  great 
as  the  first,  and  taps  the  numerous  lakes  of  a  water- 
shed embracing  betw^een  three  and  four  hundred  square 
miles. 

Above  the  bay  into  which  the  Croton  enters  is  the 
old  house  of  the  Van  Cortlandts,  for  w^e  have  now 
passed  from  the  domain  of  Philipse  to  that  of  his 
neighbotu'  and  brother-in-law.  From  a  paper  pub- 
lished by  Benson  J.  Lossing  in  Harper's  Monthly,  about 
ten  years  after  his  Hudson  appeared  in  book  form,  we 
quote  the  following  description  of  the  Van  Cortlandt 
manor-house : 

Up  the  narrowing  bay  at  the  east,  below  Croton  Point  and 
be^^ond  the  Hne  of  the  Hudson  River  R.ailroad,  may  be  seen, 
near  its  head,  a  quaint  old  mansion. 

The  water,  once  deep,  now  rapidly  changing  into  salt  meadow 
land,  is  Croton  Bay,  in  which  Henry  Hudson  anchored  his  little 
exploring  vessel.  The  mansion  is  the  Van  Cortlandts'  manor- 
house,  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  interesting,  in  its  association 
of  its  class  upon  the  Hudson.  Recent  [1876]  discoveries,  while 
repairing  it,  of  loopholes  for  musketry  near  the  floor  of  the  dining- 
room  clearly  show  that  it  originally  composed  a  fort,  which  was 
probably  built  b}^  Governor  Dongan.  John  Van  Cortlandt  en- 
larged it  to  its  present  dimensions  in  the  early  years  of  Queen 
Anne's  reign. 

Over  the  main  entrance  to  the  manor-house  hangs  the  strong 
bow  of  Croton,  the  Sachem  whose  name  has  been  given  to  the 
Kitchawan  River  and  Bay,  and  within  the  mansion  are  interest- 


Around  Haverstraw  Bay 


295 


ing  mementoes  of  the  country  from  which  and  the  family  from 
whom  the  Van  Cortlandts  came, — the  Dukes  of  Courland,  in 
Russia. 

The  Van  Cortlandt  house  has  a  ghost  that  wanders 
at  times  through  the  rooms  with  a  sound  of  rusthng 
silks,  and  another  that  treads  heavily  through  the 
halls. 

But  even  earlier  than  the  building  of  the  manor- 
house,  Chief  Croton,  the  Sachem  who  ruled  the  point 
and  neighbourhood  of  the  stream  that  bears  his  namie, 
haunted  the  spot  with  his  warriors.  An  Indian  fort 
had  been  built  where  the  manor-house  afterwards  stood, 
and  there  the  chief  made  his  last  stand  against  the 
fierce  enemies  that  swept  down  on  one  of  their  forays 
from  the  north.  Encompassed  and  overwhelmed, 
amid  showers  of  arrow^s  and  surrounded  by  the  smoke 
and  flames  of  his  burning  palisades,  he  fought  with 
desperate  valour,  as  one  by  one  his  companions  fell; 
till,  at  length,  he  stood  alone  and  vvounded;  then,  as 
his  foes  rushed  forward,  he  fell  headlong  into  the  blaz- 
ing fire.  But  again  and  again,  it  is  said,  he  has  ap- 
peared in  great  crises,  urging  men  to  courageous  deeds. 

The  Kitchawans,  or  Kitchawonks,  had  an  important 
village  on  the  neck  connecting  the  point  with  the  main- 
land. The  oyster  beds  in  the  vicinity  were  especially 
valued  by  them,  and  were,  no  doubt,  the  object  of 
frequent  disputes.  The  Indian  name  of  the  point  w^as 
Senasqua.  An  early  settler  on  the  point  was  one 
Teller,  and  the  land  became  known  to  rivermen  as 


296 


The  Hudson  River 


Teller's;  but  after  a  while  this  man  died,  and  his  wife, 
Sarah,  surviving  him  l)y  some  years,  the  neighbours, 
with  easy  formality,  dubbed  it  Sarah's  Point.  Then 
the  Cortlandt  name  was  attached  to  it;  and  after  that, 
Doctor  Underhill,  having  built  his  handsome  Italian 
villa  and  established  his  famous  grapery  there,  stood 
god-father  to  the  locality.  Somewhere  in  the  course 
of  its  history  the  name  of  old  Chief  Croton  was  attached 
to  it,  and  is  gradually  superseding  all  the  others.  From 
the  Underhill  vineyards  have  gone  out  unnumbered 
thousands  of  bottles  of  sw^eet  Catawba  wine. 

At  the  old  ferry-house  at  Croton,  a  party  of  New 
York  yeomen,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Daniel 
Williams,  were  surprised  and  captured  in  1782  by  a 
party  of  British  cavalry. 

But  there  was  one  incident  in  the  history  of  this 
place  that  seems  to  have  been  the  small  pivot  upon 
which  the  great  structure  of  America's  future  swung. 
From  Haverstraw,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  on 
the  twenty-second  of  September,  1780,  Major  Andre 
saw  the  war-ship  Vulture  drop  down  the  river  to 
escape  a  galling  fire  from  Teller's  Point.  Fresh  from 
his  interview  with  Arnold,  the  British  spy  was  anxious 
to  return  to  New  York  by  the  only  safe  way, — the  way 
by  which  he  had  come.  His  uneasiness  at  the  depart- 
ure of  the  Vulture  from  her  anchorage  may  be  im- 
agined. Once  on  board  of  her,  all  danger  of  detection 
and  capture  would  have  flown,  and  the  details  of 
Arnold's  treacherous  plan  would  in  all  human  proba- 


Around  Haverstraw  Bay  297 


bility  have  been  worked  out  successfully.  But  there 
was  a  guard  at  Teller's  Point,  and  the  Vulture  made 
an  admirable  target.  That  was  all;  yet  it  certainly 
cost  Andre  his  life  and  Arnold  his  reward — and  pos- 
sibly cost  King  George  a  kingdom. 

Early  on  the  twenty-first,  Arnold  had,  in  expecta- 
tion of  his  meeting,  left  the  Robinson  house,  his  head- 


CROTON  AND  VERPLANCK'S  POINTS  AND  ANTHONY's  NOSE — FROM  HILT.  BACK 

OF  SING  SING 


quarters,  and  proceeded  to  Verplanck's  Point;  from 
thence  he  went  to  the  house  of  Joshua  Hett  Smith,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 

When  he  crossed  over  to  Stony  Point  [to  quote  Judge  Dyk- 
man's  admirable  account],  he  dispatched  an  officer  in  his  own 
barge  up  the  river  to  Peekskill  creek,  and  thence  up  Canopus 
creek  to  Continental  Village,  with  orders  to  bring  down  a  row- 


2gS 


The  Hudson  Riv^er 


boat  from  that  place,  and  directed  Major  Kersc,  the  rjuarter- 
master  at  Stony  Point,  to  send  the  boat,  the  moment  it  should 
arrive,  to  a  certain  ])lace  in  Haverstraw  creek  (now  called  Aline- 
secongo  creek),  which  I  assume  to  have  been  Colonel  Hays's 
dock.  .  .  .  After  receiving  intelligence  of  the  arrival  of  the 
boat,  Arnold  induced  two  of  Smith's  tenants  ...  to  row 
Smith  in  the  boat  to  the  Vulture  that  night  and  directed  them 
to  muffle  their  oars  with  sheepskin.  There  was  an  old  lane 
leading  from  Smith's  liouse  to  Colonel  Hays's  landing,  through 
which  they  doubtless  passed  to  hnd  the  boat. 

The  landing  [of  Andre,  from  the  Vulture]  was  made  at 
a  dock  used  as  a  shipping  place  for  wood  and  stone.  A  portion 
of  this  dock  still  remains.  There  is  an  old  stone  house  three 
hundred  feet  north  of  the  dock  and  an  abandoned  stone  quarry 
north  of  the  house,  and  the  landing  place  is  therefore  easily 
found.  There  was  a  road  leading  up  from  the  dock  to  the  Long 
Clove  road  and  traces  of  that  old  disused  way  are  yet  distinctly 
visible.  Upon  that  way  below  the  Long  Clove  road  there  is  a 
small  plateau,  comparatively  level,  encircled  by  firs,  where  the 
interview  between  Arnold  and  Andre  probably  took  place. 

i\ndre,  finding  the  Vtdture  gone,  hid  at  the  house  of 
Smith  tin  near  the  close  of  the  day,  when  he  and  his 
host  started  for  King's  Ferry,  on  the  Stony  Point  side. 
From  there  they  crossed  to  Verplanck's  Point,  and 
Andre  went  on  to  his  doom. 

The  present  aspect  of  Haverstraw  is  not  one  to  whet 
expectation  for  a  great  historic  event.  The  chief  in- 
dustry is  the  making  of  bricks,  and  the  part  of  the 
population  most  in  evidence  from  the  river  shore  is 
such  as  busy  brick-yards  naturally  gather;  but  there 
are,  nevertheless,  pleasant  country-seats  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and,  beyond  the  range  of  the  brick-yards, 
dwellers  of  another  sort  have  their  homes.    The  view 


Around  Haverstraw  Bay 


301 


from  the  Haverstraw  hills — or,  one  should  say,  views, 
for  there  is  a  panorama  of  them  —  are  of  unique 
beauty.  The  swelling  shoulder  of  Point-no-Point  is 
below,  and,  still  more  to  the  south,  the  venerable 
figure  of  High  Taur.  Croton  and  Sing  Sing  lie  opposite, 
and,  northward,  the  buttressed  gates  of  the  Highlands. 

There  is  a  legend  of  High  Taur  that  runs  something 
in  this  wise:  Amasis,  one  of  the  magi,  long  ago  found 
his  way  to  America  and  took  to  himself  a  native  wife, 
by  whom  he  had  one  child.  On  the  summit  of  High 
Taur  he  built  an  altar,  refusing  the  sun  worship  of  the 
Indians;  but  they  were  enraged,  and  set  upon  and 
would  have  killed  him  had  not  a  miracle  saved  him. 
An  earthquake  swallowed  his  enemies,  and  incident- 
ally opened  the  present  channel  through  which  the 
Hudson  flows. 

Another  story  follows :  A  band  of  German  colonists 
settled  here  two  centuries  or  more  ago,  men  who  knew 
how  to  extract  metal  from  the  rocks.  Their  leader,  a 
nobleman,  Hugo  by  name,  refused  to  follow  the  cus- 
tom of  the  old  country,  which  decreed  that  the  forge 
fires  should  be  extinguished  once  in  seven  years.  The 
belief  used  to  obtain  that  a  salamander  grew  in  the 
fire,  and  if  allowed  to  remain  unmolested  for  more 
than  seven  years  would  develop  his  perfect  form  and 
be  able  to  issue  from  the  flames  and  work  incalculable 
mischief  among  men.  But  Hugo  laughed  at  the  super- 
stitious murmurings  of  his  men,  till  one  day  he  and 
they  saw  the  dreadful  mxonster  take  shape, — the  shape 


302 


The  Hudson  River 


of  a  scr])cnt  or  dragon, — with  darling  tongue  and  l)laz- 
ing  eyes,  and  body  and  tail  that  seemed  Hkc  metal  at 
a  white  heat. 

Hugo's  wife  saved  her  husband  and  extinguished 
the  fire  with  holy  water,  but  lost  her  own  life  in  doing 
so.  Then  seven  years  more,  and  his  only  son  was 
snatched  away.  Again  seven  years,  and  Hugo,  upon 
the  summit  of  High  Taur,  was  shown  the  treasures  of 
the  earth  which  he  might  wdn,  only  at  the  peril  of  his 
soul,  but  his  daughter's  prayer  and  touch  saved  him. 
There,  in  the  depths,  the  salamander  glowed,  but  his 
spell  was  powerless. 

Then  appeared  in  the  mountain  a  knightb/  man, 
between  whom  and  the  daughter  of  Hugo  there  sprang 
up  a  pure  passion.  She  in  her  innocence  would  have 
expressed  her  love  for  him,  but  he  repelled  her  gently, 
saying:  "When  you  slept,  I  came  and  put  a  crown  of 
gems  on  your  head;  that  was  because  I  was  in  the 
powder  of  the  earth  spirit.  Then  I  had  power  only  over 
the  element  of  fire,  that  either  consumes  or  hardens  to 
stone,  but  now  water  and  life  are  mine.  Behold  I 
wear  these,  for  you  are  worthy."  Then  he  touched 
the  tears  that  fell  from  the  girl's  eyes  and  they  turned 
into  lilies  in  his  hands,  and  he  placed  them  upon  her 
brow.  He  told  her  that,  having  left  heaven  for  love 
of  man,  passing  through  the  ordeal  of  the  fire,  he 
was  liberated  b}^  her  mother's  act  and  took  a  child's 
form.  He  rehearsed  his  trials,  his  love  for  her,  the 
danger  he  encountered  of  becoming  again  an  earth 


Around  Haverstraw  Bay  303 


spirit.  While  they  conversed,  Hugo  and  his  followers 
burst  upon  them.  Misunderstanding  his  daughter's 
agitation,  the  old  man  in  a  rage  ordered  his  followers 
to  seize  the  stranger  and  fling  him  into  the  furnace. 

What  the  girl  saw,  when  this  inhuman  decree  had 
been  obeyed,  was  a  form  clad  in  robes  of  silver  float 
from  the  furnace  and  drift  upward  into  the  night.  It 
is  said  that  that  sight  brought  peace  to  her  soul  and 
serenity  to  her  countenance,  w^hich  is  hardly  less 
strange  than  all  the  other  incidents  of  this  marvellous 
tale. 


Chapter  XVIII 


The  Storming  of  Stony  Point 

BETWEEN  Croton  Point  and  Peekskill,  above 
the  railway  station,  are  scattered  pleasant 
residences.  A  few  miles  to  the  north  is  the 
little  village  of  Cruger's;  then,  just  above  Montrose's 
Point,  back  of  the  bay  that  forms  the  south  shore  of 
Verplanck's  Point,  is  the  historic  ground  where  Baron 
Steuben  laboured  to  lick  the  raw  material  of  '76  into 
serviceable  battalions. 

The  history  of  Verplanck  s  Point  is  intimately  con- 
nected with  that  of  Stony  Point,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river.  The  storming  and  reduction  of  Stony 
Point  by  the  American  army  under  General  Wayne 
occurred  on  the  night  of  the  15th  of  July,  1779.  It 
w^as  one  of  the  brilliant  achievements  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and,  indeed,  in  some  respects,  can  hardly  be 
excelled  by  any  action  in  our  history. 

The  British  had  retired  from  Philadelphia;  Wash- 
ington's army  had  passed  through  the  trying  experi- 
ence of  Valley  Forge,  and  Monmouth  had  been  fought. 
Now  the  old  struggle  for  supremacy  on  the  Hudson 
was  renewed.    Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  captured  the 

304 


The  Storming  of  Stony  Point  305 


American  posts  at  Stony  Point  and  Verplanck's  Point, 
opposite;  while  Washington  still -held  the  important 
fortresses  in  the  Highlands. 

Clinton's  attack  was  made  on  the  first  of  June.  The 
American  force  at  Stony  Point  consisted  of  six  hundred 
men,  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Johnson, 
while  at  Verplanck's,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Webster  had 
a  detachment  of  about  the  same  numerical  strength. 
They  yielded  to  the  combined  land  and  water  attack 
of  a  greatly  superior  foe,  who  proceeded,  after  the  re- 
duction of  the  forts,  to  increase  their  armament  and 
man  them  with  strong  garrisons.  Washington  at  once 
saw  not  only  the  military  disadvantage  of  having  his 
outposts  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  but  realised  also 
how  bad  an  effect  such  a  condition  of  affairs  would 
produce  upon  the  sentiment  of  the  country.  He  dis- 
cussed the  possibility  of  dislodging  the  invaders.  An 
amusing  and  characteristic  (and  possibly  true)  anec- 
dote records  a  conversation  supposed  to  have  taken 
place  between  the  Commander  and  General  Wayne  on 
this  topic.  Asked  whether  he  thought  he  could  storm 
Stony  Point,  the  impetuous  Wayne — "Mad  Anthony" 
— replied : 

"  I  '11  storm  hell,  if  you'll  make  the  plans,  sir!" 

Washington  looked  at  him  meditatively  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  replied  quietly: 

Better  try  Stony  Point  first.  General." 

Try  Stony  Point  they  did.  That  "Gibraltar"  of 
the  Highlands,  to  use  Washington  Irving 's  phrase, 


The  1 1  nelson  Rix  cr 


]M*escntC(l  c'ln  ()l)stacle  wortliy  of  the  mettle^  of  ihc  best 
troo])s  in  the  world.  Two  hundred  feet  in  liciij^lu,  with 
bold,  rocky  sides  deseendin^i^^  ])reci])itousl\'  to  the  shore, 
and  surrounded  on  the  landward  side  b\-  a  niarsli,  this 
fortress  could  only  be  won  Ijy  the  same  soldierl}'  (|uali- 
ties  that  had  made  the  British  masters  of  it  forty-five 
days  earlier. 

The  utmost  secrecy  was  preserved  in  preparing  for 
the  enterprise.  Not  more  than  half  a  dozen  officers 
knew  of  the  movement  on  foot.  The  main  army  of 
the  Americans  was  encamped  about  ten  miles  back 
of  West  Point,  within  reach  either  of  the  Jerseys  or 
the  Hudson.  A  strong  detachment  occupied  West 
Point,  Constitution  Island,  and  that  neighbourhood, 
and  two  Connecticut  brigades  were  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river.  Washington's  headquarters  at  this  time 
were  at  New  Windsor. 

The  column  destined  for  the  attack  upon  Stony 
Point  marched  from  Sandy  Beach,  fourteen  miles 
above,  at  noon  of  the  fifteenth.  The  soldiers  num- 
bered twelve  hundred  light  infantry.  Their  march 
was  over  bad  roads  and  rocky  hills  and  through  heavy 
swamps.  They  halted  after  nightfall  at  the  house  of 
a  man  named  Springsteel,  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the 
British  position,  and  here  the  final  arrangements  for 
the  attack  were  completed. 

General  Wayne's  disposition  of  the  troops  before 
Stony  Point  was  as  follows:  The  column  on  the  right, 
to  be  led  by  Wayne  himself,  consisted  of  the  regiments 


i 


The  Storming  of  Stony  Point  309 


of  Meigs  and  Febiger,  and  a  detachment  commanded 
by  Major  Hull;  Butler's  regiment  constituted  the  left 
column;  and  Major  Murfee  was  ordered  forward  in 
the  centre  to  engage  the  attention  of  the  British  garri- 
son by  a  feint.  Two  bodies  of  volunteers,  led  by  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Fleur}^  and  Major  Posey  on  the  right, 
and  Major  Stewart  on  the  left,  served  as  pioneers  to 
precede  the  main  body  of  the  assailants;  and  in  the 
van  of  each  company  of  pioneers  was  "  a  forlorn  hope" 
of  twenty  men,  led  by  Lieutenants  Gibbon  and  Knox. 
It  was  their  work  to  remove  the  obstructions  in  the 
way  of  the  troops. 

It  was  nearly  midnight  when  the  advance  com- 
menced. Absolute  silence  was  enjoined,  and  like 
spectres  the  two  storming  parties  faded  from  each 
other's  sight  in  the  gloom.  The  marshes  were  over- 
flowed with  two  feet  of  water,  and  through  this  the 
men  followed  their  officers,  eager  and  alert,  for  the 
object  of  the  expedition  was  no  longer  a  secret  to  any 
one. 

Not  a  musket  was  loaded,  except  in  Murfee 's  com- 
mand, for  the  attack  was  to  be  made  entirely  with  the 
bayonet.  What  greater  evidence  could  be  offered  of 
the  value  of  three  arduous  years  in  transforming  into 
stern,  reliant  soldiers  the  raw  material  of  1776? 

The  almost  perpendicular  wall  that  confronted  them 
after  the  passage  of  the  morass  was  to  be  scaled  before 
the  British  works,  dimly  silhouetted  against  the  night 
sky,  could  be  attacked.    Between  the  summit  and  the 


The  1  Iiulson  Ri\  cr 


base,  several  lines  of  abatis  were  to  be  encountered. 
To  right  and  left  the  attaekini^^  wings  ascended,  while 
Murfee  and  liis  nien  ke])t  a  straight  course  for  the 
centre  of  the  works.  Suddenly  shot  rang  out;  a  sen- 
tinel had  discovered  the  invaders.  With  a  cheer  the 
Carolinians  re])lied,  waking  a  thousand  echoes  by  their 
volle^^  and  drawing  in  return  the  concentrated  fire  of 
the  garrison.  In  a  few  minutes  the  roar  of  cannon 
joined  with  the  rattle  of  musketry,  and  the  devoted 
centre  was  the  object  of  the  British  attentions,  while 
the  real  attacking  parties,  giving  no  indication  of  their 
approach,  were  pushing  eagerly  forward. 

An  officer  saw^  one  of  his  men  step  aside  and  com- 
mence to  load  his  musket.  Ordering  him  to  desist, 
he  was  met  with  the  surly  question,  "  How  am  I  going 
to  fight  if  I  don't  load?"  Seeing  that  the  fellow  was 
obstinate  and  refused  to  obey,  the  officer  ran  him 
through  with  his  sword.  This  was  done  in  accord- 
ance with  general  orders  given  before  the  attack  com- 
menced, and  was  necessary  under  the  circumstances, 
as  it  probably  prevented  a  premature  betrayal  of  the 
attack. 

But  when  at  last  the  discovery  was  made,  the  storm- 
ing parties  found  themselves  the  targets  for  a  hail  of 
bullets.  The  top  of  the  hill  was  a  volcano  of  "  villain- 
ous saltpetre"  and  men  in  the  American  ranks  began 
to  drop.  Colonel  Hay  fell,  wounded  in  the  thigh ;  Cap- 
tain Selden  received  a  wound  in  the  side;  seventeen 
out  of  twentv  men  in  the  advance  fell,  either  killed  or 


The  Storming  of  Stony  Point  311 


injured.  Wayne  received  a  flesh  wound  in  the  head, 
and  called  upon  two  of  his  officers  to  carry  him  into 
the  works,  for  he  thought  that  he  was  mortally  wounded 
and  wished  to  die  at  the  head  of  his  troops. 

Still  not  a  shot  came  from  the  grim,  eager,  unde- 
viating  ranks  of  the  Americans  in  reply  to  the  rever- 
berating volleys  of  the  enemy,  but  the}^  entered  the 
works  with  the  bayonet  and  they  subdued  the  garrison 
at  close  quarters. 

Then  the  silence  was  broken.  A  cheer  rang  out, — a 
cheer  that  reached  the  ears  of  the  men  on  the  British 
war- ships  in  the  river,  satisfying  those  good  servants 
of  King  George  that  their  own  side  had  succeeded  in 
repulsing  their  assailants.  Not  till  the  guns  of  the 
fort  were  turned  upon  them  by  the  Americans  were 
they  convinced  of  their  error. 

Verplanck  s  Point  was  not  taken  from  the  enemy, 
and  Washington  soon  abandoned  Stony  Point;  but 
the  value  of  Wayne  s  brilliant  deed  was  permanent,  as 
it  not  only  inspired  the  patriots  throughout  the  country 
with  renewed  confidence,  but  won  them  increased  re- 
spect from  their  foes. 

An  interesting  letter,  written  just  after  the  battle 
of  Stony  Point  by  one  w^ho  participated  in  that  mem- 
orable action,  was  contributed  to  The  Magazine  of 
American  History,  several  years  ago,  by  the  Hon. 
James  W.  Gerard.  It  was  addressed  to  Doctor  Daniel 
Sheldon,  and  dated  July  i,  1779.  From  its  graphic 
pages  we  may  be  permitted  to  quote  briefly: 


312 


The  Hudson  River 


Pcrliaps  you  have  hcanl  ot"  llic  ])ro\vcss  of  our  troo])s  at  Kings- 
ferry,  it  may  be  from  vague  rej^orts  and  hearsay.  The  morning 
of  the  16^'"'  inst,  General  Wayne  with  a  party  of  infantry  attaeked 
tlie  enemy's  works  at  Stony  Point — the  garrison  consisted  of 
about  six  hundred  men— it  being  tlie  dead  of  niglit  they  were 
not  discovered  until  they  had  got  within  about  sixteen  rods  of 
the  works,  the  alarm  was  instantly  given,  but  such  was  the  dex- 
terity of  our  men  that  they  gained  some  part  of  the  enemy's 
works  before  their  picket  guard.  Our  men  were  distinguished 
by  having  white  paper  in  their  hats  and  by  these  words  The 
Fort  is  our  oicu.  The  fire  for  a  few  minutes  was  very  fierce 
from  them,  but  our  people  never  fired  a  gun  until  they  had 
gained  the  Fort — most  of  the  enemy  were  killed  with  Bayonets 
after  our  people  were  in  the  works — we  had  nine  men  killed,  and 
about  thirty  or  forty  wounded. 

The  enemy's  loss  was  sixty  killed  and  forty  wounded — 447 
rank  and  file  marched  out  of  the  fort  the  next  morning  with 
twenty-four  commissioned  officers.  Doct^  Auchmuty  of  New 
York  was  their  surgeon — some  few  men  made  their  escape  in 
boats  to  the  other  side  the  River,  others  in  attempting  to  swim 
were  drowned — S.  CM.  Johnson  commanded  the  Britons.  Gen- 
eral Wayne's  party  tis  said  consisted  of  about  4200  men.  There 
were  five  deserters  from  us  in  the  fort,  three  of  which  they 
hanged  with  little  ceremony — 10  pieces  of  cannon,  a  large  num- 
ber of  small  arms,  with  military  stores  of  all  kinds  fell  into  our 
hands.  Sunday  we  should  have  attacked  the  fort  on  this  side 
the  River,  but  General  Clinton's  arrival  at  Croton  Bridge  with 
a  large  force  prevented  it.  It  must  otherwise  have  fallen  into 
our  hands  soon. 

Your  Friend  and  Brother 

Richard  Sill. 


Chapter  XIX 


At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands 

JOHN  PEAK,  some  time  before  1685,  lived  on  a 
creek,  or  "kill,"  that  has  been  ever  afterwards 
called  by  his  name.  It  was  on  the  land 
claimed  by  Chief  Sirham,  sachem  of  the  Sachus 
Indians,  and  became  afterwards  part  of  the  broad 
manor  of  Cortlandt.  Three  hundred  acres  were 
bought  in  the  year  above  mentioned,  for  the  value  of 
three  hundred  guilders  in  sea- want.  The  grounds  of 
the  New  York  State  camp  for  military  instruction 
occupy  part  of  that  purchase. 

The  pleasant  village  of .  Peekskill  has  a  memorable 
history,  associated  as  it  was  during  the  War  for  Inde- 
pendence with  important  military  movements.  From 
its  position,  so  near  the  lower  gate  of  the  Highlands, 
it  was  destined  to  be  ridden  over  by  both  of  the  oppos- 
ing armies.  We  have  spoken  elsewhere  of  some  of  the 
more  noteworthy  occurrences  of  Revolutionary  days, 
as  they  presented  themselves  in  sequence  with  other 
events.  Fort  Independence  occupied  the  point  above, 
the  stores  and  barracks  that  the  British  burned  were 
near  by,  Washington  once  had  his  headquarters  here 

313 


314  The  Hudson  River 

tor  a  short  time,  and  here  old  Israel  Putnam  com- 
manded m  1777.    Pauklmg,  one  of  the  ea])t()rs  of 


BIRD  S-EYE  VIEW  OF  THE  HUDSON  FROM  A   PEAK  IN  THE  HIGHLANDS 
{Drawn  by  IV.  G.  JVilson) 

Andre,  was  born  in  Peekskill  and  was  buried  there  in 
1818.  Andre  himself  stopped  at  the  Wayside  Inn  on 
the  da}^  following  his  memorable  interview  with  Arnold. 


At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands  315 


Washington  made  a  flying  visit  to  Peekskill  after  the 
battle  of  White  Plains  to  reconnoitre;  Lee  came  here 
while  tardih'  and  reluctantly  obeying  Washington's 
orders  to  advance  into  Xew  Jersey.  General  Heath 
was  then  in  command  of  the  post  and  had  received 
positive  orders  from  AVashington  to  retain  all  the 
troops  then  with  him.  General  Lee,  as  Heath's  senior 
in  rank,  ordered  that  two  of  the  latter 's  regiments  at 
Continental  Village  should  accompany  his  own  troops 
across  the  river.  Heath  instantly  refused  to  give  the 
necessary  directions,  exclaiming,  "  I  have  received  posi- 
tive written  orders  to  the  contrary." 

Lee  replied  that  he  would  then  give  the  orders  him- 
self, to  w^hich  Heath  could  not  do  otherwise  than  to 
assent.    "That  makes  all  the  difference,"  he  said. 

You  are  mv  senior;  but  I  will  not  mvself  break 
those  orders."  He  then  showed  Lee  General  Washing- 
ton's letter  of  instructions,  upon  which  his  visitor  made 
some  comment  to  the  effect  that  being  upon  the  ground 
he  would  feel  at  liberty  to  act  according  to  his  own 
judgment  in  the  matter.  He  attempted  then  to  give 
the  order  through  Heath's  adjutant,  but  the  latter  was 
sternly  forbidden  by  his  chief  to  have  any  part  in  the 
affair.  "Sir,"  said  he  to  Lee,  "if  you  come  to  this 
post  and  mean  to  issue  orders  here  which  will  break 
the  positive  ones  I  have  received,  I  pray  you  to  do  it 
yourself  and  through  your  own  deputy  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral, who  is  present,  and  not  draw  me  or  any  of  my 
family  in  as  partners  in  the  guilt." 


3i6 


The  Hudson  River 


To  a])]:)reciatc  this  scene  one  must  ])ictiire  the  con- 
testants. Heath,  1)alcl  and  very  corpulent,  l)Ut  sol- 
dierly and  alert;  "a  man  one  could  not  see  without 
loving,"  was  said  of  him;  Lee,  on  the  other  hand,  not 
unpleasing  as  to  feature  or  figure,  but  slovenly  in  his 
dress  and  consumed  wnth  a  sense  of  his  own  importance. 
George  Clinton,  General  and  Governor  of  New  York, 
was  present. 

Heath  resolutely  demanded  and  received  from  Lee 
a  certificate  that  he  had  assumed  command  of  the 
post.  Then,  when  the  comedy  was  all  played,  and 
his  wayward  will  satisfied,  the  usurper  of  authority 
changed  his  mind  and  recalled  the  regiments  he  had 
ordered  out. 

"The  erratic  Lee,"  as  some  one  has  called  him, 
crossed  the  Hudson  with  his  army  on  the  2nd  and  3rd 
of  December,  to  the  great  relief  of  the  commander  of 
the  post. 

When  the  French  allies,  under  Rochambeau,  marched 
north  after  the  winter  of  1782,  they  were  received  by 
their  American  brothers-in-arms  at  Verplanck's  Point 
and  conducted  to  their  encampment  south  of  Peeks- 
kill.  Seeing  the  steadiness  and  discipline  of  the  lines 
extending  from  the  ferry  to  headquarters,  the  French 
commander  exclaimed  in  admiration:  "You  have 
formed  an  alliance  with  the  King  of  Prussia!  These 
troops  are  Prussians ! ' ' 

The  house  at  which  Washington  stopped  at  one 
time  during  the  war,  and  where  not  a  few  of  the 


At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands  3^7 


notable  figures  of  Revolutionary  story  were  entertained 
from  time  to  time,  was  that  built  by  the  Hon.  Pierre 
Van  Cortlandt  in  1773.  This  must  not  be  confounded 
with  the  manor-house  at  Croton,  to  which  reference 
has  already  been  made.  A  year  after  the  building  of 
the  Peekskill  house,  Van  Cortlandt  seems  to  have  been 
living  in  the  older  one  at  the  Point,  for  it  was  there 
that  Governor  Tryon  visited  him  in  1774,  to  secure,  if 
possible,  his  interest  for  the  King's  cause  in  the  ap- 
proaching contest. 

In  1775,  Philip,  the  son  of  General  Van  Cortlandt, 
accepted  a  commission  in  the  Continental  army,  an  act 
which  incurred  the  enmity  of  the  Royalists  against  the 
whole  family  and  led  to  bitter  persecutions. 

The  Peekskill  house  was  the  one  occupied  by  Mrs. 
Beekman  during  the  war.  On  one  occasion  she  faced 
a  party  of  Tories,  led  by  Colonel  Fanning,  and  sharply 
rebuked  them  for  calling  her  father  ''an  old  rebel." 
"I  am  the  daughter  of  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,"  she 
exclaimed,  "  and  ijt  becomes  not  such  as  you  to  call  my 
father  a  rebel."    So  she  turned  them  out  of  the  house. 

The  little  hamlet  of  Continental  Village,  on  Canopus 
creek,  just  above  Peekskill,  was  the  place  where  the 
stores  for  the  American  army  in  the  Highlands  were 
accumulated.  Gallows  Hill,  the  place  where  Palmer 
the  spy  was  executed,  is  a  little  north  of  a  highway 
that  intersects  the  Albany  Post  road,  or  Broadway, 
from  the  east;  near  the  southern  side  of  that  hill  was 
the  house  to  which  Andre  was  taken  after  his  capture. 


The  Hudson  Rixcr 


Jolin  Paiil(lii\c:,  the  ca]^tor,  hx'cd  for  a  number  of 
years  after  llie  ex'ent  whieh  made  liim  famous  on  a 
farm  on  the  Crom-])ond  road,  a])out  tliree  miles  east  of 
I\'ekskill.  A  numl^er  of  tales  coneerning  him  are  eur- 
rent,  for  one  of  whieh  we  ha\'e  space.  He  was  atten- 
tive to  a  voung  woman  named  Teed  whose  l)rother 
was  a  loyahst.  Upon  one  of  his  frec[uent  \dsits  to  the 
home  of  his  lady-love,  he  was  set  upon  by  a  numl)er 
of  Tories  and  forced  to  seek  refuge  in  a  barn,  from 
whieh  he  fired  upon  his  assailants,  wounding  some  of 
them.  Young  Teed  was  one  of  the  ]:»arty  and  con- 
ducted a  parley  with  the  beleaguered  lover,  who  finally 
agreed  to  surrender  himself.  He  was  handed  over  to 
the  British  officer  near  b\'  and  taken  a  prisoner  to  the 
Sugar  House,  on  Liberty  Street,  New^  York.  From 
that  dreadful  prison  he  managed  to  escape,  and  through 
the  aid  of  a  negress,  who  disguised  him  in  the  green 
coat  of  a  Hessian  soldier,  he  finally  reached  the  Ameri- 
can lines.  A  few  days  later,  while  wearing  the  same 
conspicuous  garment,  he  assisted  in  capturing  Major 
Andre  at  Tarry  town. 

After  the  foregoing  cursory  glance  at  Peekskilbs  his- 
toric past,  which  we  reluctantly  leave,  we  must  make 
an  equally  rapid  survey  of  more  recent  days.  Of  the 
many  eminent  men  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  tov;n 
have  delighted  to  honour,  there  are  several  that  we 
ma\'  not  be  forgiven  for  omitting.  One  of  these  is 
Henry  AA^ard  Beecher,  whose  summer  home  was  a 
short  distance  east  of  the  village.    Senator  Chauncey 


At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands 


319 


M.  Depew  was  born  in  this  place,  and  has  enHvened  a 
thousand  dinner- tables  with  his  more  or  less  apocry- 
phal recollections  of  it.  Then  there  is  the  long  roster 
of  those  who  went  out  to  battle  for  the  Republic  on 
Southern  battle-fields  in  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil 
War.  To  name  any,  when  we  have  not  room  for  all, 
would  be  to  make  a  distinction  that  their  patriotism 
neither  suggests  nor  warrants. 

In  1882,  the  Governor  of  New  York,  Alonzo  B.  Cor- 
nell, sent  a  committee  of  officers  of  the  National  Guard 
to  select  a  site  for  a  military  camp  of  instruction.  The 
choice  finally  rested  upon  the  plateau  to  the  north  of 
i\nnsville  creek,  which  comprised  ninety-seven  acres 
belonging  to  the  estate  of  John  McCoy.  This  was 
purchased,  with  an  additional  tract  for  a  rifie-range. 
Here,  at  an  elevation  of  a  hundred  feet  above  the 
river,  all  arrangements  were  made  for  the  convenience 
of  a  permanent  camp.  A  reservoir  was  formed  by 
damming  a  brook,  and  the  water  distributed  in  pipes 
through  the  grounds,  while  facilities  for  cooking  on  a 
large  scale  have  also  been  perfected.  Here,  summer 
after  summer,  the  various  regiments  of  the  National 
Guard  have  succeeded  each  other  in  encampments 
that  have  come  to  be  a  feature  of  the  service. 

The  point  known  as  Roa  Hook  was  the  site  of  Fort 
Independence.  A  hotel  occupied  the  spot  in  the  forties 
and  some  of  the  steamboats  made  it  a  stopping  place; 
but  the  working  of  valuable  gravel  pits  gradually  un- 
dermined the  bluff  on  which  it  stood. 


320 


The  Hudson  River 


Pcckskill  looks  out  ii]^on  the  Dunck^rbcrii^  and  Bear 
Mountain.  \\M-])knick's  Point  stretches  to  the  south, 
anel  northward  is  the  ck^e]),  narrow  channel  of  the 
Highlands.  Irx  ing  com]  )a red  Peekskill  Bay  with  Lake 
Como;  it  would  be  difficult  in  any  ])art  of  the  world 
to  find  a  si)ot  the  natural  features  of  which  cons])ire  to 
form  a  scene  of  more  exc[uisite  lovehness.  From  the 
lighthouse  at  Stony  Point  to  that  on  lona  Island  the 
grand  sw^eep  of  the  opposite  shore  appeals  to  the  imagi- 
nation, producing  a  sense  of  delight.  The  trains  that 
creep  about  the  base  of  the  Dunderberg  are  pigmy  affairs ; 
the  swift  current  that  flows  through  the  Horse  Race 
and  into  Seylmaker's  Reach  catches  broken  reflections 
of  the  towering  masses  above  them,  and  all  the  contriv- 
ances of  man — his  w^harves,  his  boats,  and  his  villages 
— cannot  impair  the  invincible  majesty  of  nature. 

Some  years  ago  there  was  a  coffer-dam  and  pum])ing 
station  at  the  foot  of  the  Dunderberg,  and  the  story 
that  is  connected  with  them  is  one  of  several  of  a  simi- 
lar character  that  the  river  can  boast.  Some  one  of 
the  skippers  of  the  numerous  river  craft  came  to  an 
anchor  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  but  found,  when 
he  wished  to  resume  his  course,  that  his  anchor's 
flukes  w^ere  caught  in  something  heavy  that  could  not 
be  detached  from  the  bottom  without  great  effort. 
However,  yielding  to  the  persuasion  of  the  windlass, 
the  obstacle,  whatever  it  was,  after  a  while  began  to 
come  slowly  to  the  surface,  with  many  an  uneasy  tug. 
The  skipper's  curiosity  w-as  great,  and  richly  was  it 


At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands 


321 


rewarded,  for,  with  one  supreme  effort,  the  crew  raised 
to  the  surface  and  into  the  vessel — a  small  cannon! 

It  might  have  been  taken  as  a  natural  inference 
that  the  rusty  weapon  belonged  to  some  British  vessel 
of  war,  or  was  a  trophy  of  American  valour;  but  not 
so  did  the  wiseacres  decide.  It  was  gravely  pro- 
nounced to  be  a  relic  of  Captain  Kidd! 

Then  a  speculator  worked  up  the  idea  and  inter- 
ested a  number  of  people  of  the  class  that  the  proverb 
mentions  as  being  soon  parted  from  their  money,  and 
a  company  was  formed  with  v$ 2 2,000  capital  to  explore 
for  the  wealth  that  everybody  at  once  knew  must  be 
lying  there.  People  talked  of  the  auger  that  had 
bored  through  the  deck  of  the  sunken  ship  and  brought 
up  silver  with  it.  To  be  sure,  no  one  had  seen  the 
silver,  but  the  auger  was  probably  not  denied  to  any 
seeker  after  conviction.  The  work  went  on  merrily 
for  some  time,  but  after  a  while  funds  ran  low  and 
faith  began  to  waver,  and  the  pumping  station  no 
longer  pumped.  Well,  after  all,  was  it  any  more  silly 
than  to  be  duped  into  subscribing  to  a  company  that 
engaged  to  make  gold  out  of  sea-water? 

From  the  veracious  chronicle  of  the  adventures  of 
that  delightful  son  of  Manhattan,  Dolph  Heyliger,  as 
told  by  Washington  Irving,  we  get  an  invaluable 
treasure  of  goblin  lore.  The  Dunderberg  is  particu- 
larly mentioned  as  being  the  haunt  of  unearthly  creat- 
ures whose  instinct  for  mischief  was  calculated  to 
keep  the  toiling  sons  of  the  river  in  perpetual  disquiet. 


The  lliulson  Ri\cr 


It  is  certain  that  strange  things  have  been  seen  in  these  high- 
lands in  storms.  Tlic  ca])tains  of  tlie  river  craft  talk  of  a  httle 
hulhous-bottonied  Dutch  gobhn,  in  trunk-hose  and  sugar-loafed 
hat,  with  a  speaking-trumpet  in  his  hand,  which  they  say  keeps 
about  the  Dunderberg.  They  declare  that  they  have  heard 
him.  in  stormy  weather,  in  the  midst  of  tlic  turmoil,  giving 
orders  in  Low  Dutch  for  the  piping  up  of  a  fresh  gust  of  wind, 
or  the  rattling  ofif  of  another  thunder-clap.  That  sometimes  he 
has  been  seen  surrounded  by  a  crew  of  little  imps  in  broad 
breeches  and  short  doublets;  tumbling  head-over-heels  in  the 
rack  and  mist,  and  playing  a  thousand  gambols  in  the  air;  or 
buzzing  like  a  swarm  of  flies  about  Antony's  Nose;  and  that, 
at  such  times,  the  hurry  scurry  of  the  storm  was  always  greatest. 
One  time  a  sloop,  in  passing  by  the  Dunderberg,  was  over- 
taken by  a  thunder  gust,  that  came  scouring  round  the  mount- 
ain, and  seemed  to  burst  just  over  the  vessel.  Though  tight 
and  well  ballasted,  she  laboured  dreadfully,  and  the  water  came 
over  the  gunwale.  All  the  crew  were  amazed  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  there  was  a  little  white  sugar-loaf  hat  on  the 
mast-head,  known  at  once  to  be  the  hat  of  the  Heer  of  the 
Dunderberg.  Nobody,  however,  dared  to  climb  to  the  mast- 
head and  get  rid  of  this  terrible  hat.  The  sloop  continued  labour- 
ing and  rocking,  as  if  she  would  have  rolled  her  mast  overboard, 
and  seemed  in  continued  danger  either  of  upsetting  or  of  running 
on  shore.  In  this  way  she  drove  quite  through  the  highlands, 
until  she  had  passed  PoUopol's  Island,  where,  it  is  said,  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Dunderberg  potentate  ceases.  No  sooner  had 
she  passed  this  bourn,  than  the  little  hat  spun  up  into  the  air 
like  a  top,  whirled  up  all  the  clouds  into  a  vortex,  and  hurried 
them  back  to  the  summit  of  the  Dunderberg;  while  the  sloop 
righted  herself,  and  sailed  on  as  quietly  as  if  in  a  mill-pond. 
Nothing  saved  her  from  utter  wreck  but  the  fortunate  circum- 
stance of  having  a  horse-shoe  nailed  against  the  mast — a  wise 
precaution  against  evil  spirits,  since  adopted  by  all  the  Dutch 
captains  that  navigate  this  haunted  river. 

There  is  another  story  told  of  this  foul-weather  urchin  by 
Skipper  Daniel  Ouselsticker  of  Fishkill,  who  was  never  known 
to  tell  a  lie.    He  declared  that,  in  a  severe  squall,  he  saw  him 


At  the  Gate  of  the  Highlands 


325 


seated  astride  of  his  bowsprit,  riding  the  sloop  ashore,  full  butt 
against  Antony's  Nose,  and  that  he  was  exorcised  by  Dominie 
Van  Gieson,  of  Esopus,  who  happened  to  be  on  board,  and  who 
sang  the  hymn  of  St.  Nicholas;  whereupon  the  goblin  threw 
himself  up  in  the  air  like  a  ball  and  went  off  in  a  whirlwind, 
carrying  away  with  him  the  nightcap  of  the  Dominie's  wife; 
which  was  discovered  the  next  Sunday  morning  hanging  on  the 
weathercock  of  Esopus  church  steeple,  at  least  forty  miles  off! 
Several  events  of  this  kind  having  taken  place,  the  regular  skip- 
pers of  the  river,  for  a  long  time,  did  not  venture  to  pass  the 
Dunderberg  without  lowering  their  peaks,  out  of  homage  to  the 
Heer  of  the  mountain ;  and  it  was  observed  that  all  such  as  paid 
this  tribute  of  respect  were  suffered  to  pass  unmolested. 


Chapter  XX 


The  Spirit  of  '76 

THE  miHtary  and  naval  operations  along  the 
Hudson  and  its  shores  during  the  War  for 
Independence  cannot  be  exhaustively  dis- 
cussed in  a  work  that  of  necessity  covers  so  wide  a 
field  as  the  present  \'olume.  At  the  most,  we  may 
only  hope  to  indicate,  by  the  selection  of  several  in- 
cidents, the  character  of  the  inA^asion  and  the  spirit  of 
those  who  opposed  it. 

Toryism,  it  may  be  said  in  passing,  was  not  entirely 
confined  to  the  cities,  yet  it  had  its  strongholds  there, 
and  the  general  temper  of  the  country  people  seems  to 
have  inclined  tow^ards  the  Continental  cause. 

Before  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  in  August,  1776, 
the  Xew  York  Convention  sent  delegates  to  stir  up  the 
yeomanry  along  the  river.  As  the  enemy's  ships  were 
at  anchor  near  Tarry  town,  powder  and  ball  were  sent 
to  that  place.  Colonel  Hammond,  of  local  celebrity, 
was  actively  engaged  in  organising  the  militia  for 
defence;  Colonel  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  of  the  Croton 
manor  of  that  name,  was  an  active  and  efficient  guard- 
ian of  the  east  shore  of  the  Tappan  Zee ;  while  Colonel 

326 


The  Spirit  of  '76 


327 


Hay  kept  guard  with  his  regiment  over  the  western 
shore,  from  Nyack  to  the  Highlands ^  the  centre  of  his 
operations  being  at  Haverstraw. 

The  yeomen  on  both  sides  of  the  river  patrolled  the 
shores  even  as  they  guarded  the  highways,  and  tradi- 
tion asserts  that  wives  and  daughters  stood  beside  the 
men  as  they  shouldered  the  flint-lock  guns  and  handled 
powder-horns  and  bullet-pouches.  Whenever  the  foe 
might  appear,  rustic  marksmen  were  ready  to  re-enact 
Lexington  and  Concord. 

The  British  war- ships,  shifting  ground  occasionally 
with  the  tide,  or  to  avoid  the  galling  attentions  of  the 
sharp-shooters,  that  annoyed  them  like  so  many  wasps, 
w^ere  not  holding  their  ground  in  the  Tappan  Zee  and 
Haverstraw  Bay  from  any  holiday  motive.  Their 
boats  were  out  constantly  making  soundings,  locating 
shoals,  determining  the  course  of  the  channel,  and  pre- 
paring charts  for  the  service  of  the  flotilla.  The  Tories 
alongshore  were  suspected  of  furnishing  both  provis- 
ions and  information. 

A  tender  beat  up  from  Haverstraw  Bay  nearly  to 
Fort  Montgomery  in  the  Highlands,  when  General 
Clinton  greeted  the  unwelcome  visitor  with  a  ball  from 
a  3  2 -pounder,  that  had  the  effect  of  sending  her  about 
in  short  order. 

But  soundings  and  observations  had  been  com- 
pleted, and  the  chart  of  the  river  was  sufficiently  ac- 
curate to  enable  the  war- ships  to  move  up  without 
other  peril  than  that  encountered  from  the  American 


328 


The  Hudson  River 


guns.  The}'  there  tore  aclvtineed  to  within  six  miles  of 
Fort  Monte^ornery.  George  Chnton  antici]:)ated  an 
effort  to  sh])  by  him  at  night,  and  gain  the  defence- 
less reaches  of  the  river  above  the  Highlands,  where 
the  enemy  might  not  only  ravage  the  country,  ])ut 
destroy  the  little  fleet  that  was  then  being  built  at 
Poughkeepsie.  He  therefore  placed  a  guard  at  a  point 
nearly  midway  between  the  vessels  and  the  fort,  with 
material  at  hand  for  a  mammoth  signal  fire,  and  simi- 
lar piles  of  combustibles  were  placed  at  intervals  all 
through  the  Highlands,  except  at  the  fort.  In  case  of 
activity  on  the  part  of  the  fleet,  its  every  movement 
would  be  illuminated. 

As  a  further  safeguard,  fire-rafts  were  brought  down 
from  Poughkeepsie  and  held  in  readiness,  like  hounds 
in  leash,  ready  to  be  let  loose  at  the  favourable  moment. 
"  They  were  to  be  lashed  together,"  we  read,  "  between 
old  sloops  filled  with  combustibles  and  sent  down  with 
a  strong  wind  and  tide,  to  drive  upon  the  ships." 

Besides  these  preparations,  an  effective  barrier  was 
to  be  made  by  stretching  a  huge  iron  chain  across  the 
river  in  an  oblique  direction,  from  Fort  Montgomery 
to  Anthony  s  Nose. 

Van  Cortlandt  and  others  were  busy  at  this  time  in 
organising  the  river  guard,  a  fleet  of  whale-boats, 
manned  by  patriotic  rivermen,  and  stationed  in  the 
bays  and  coves  of  the  Tappan  Zee  and  Haverstraw. 
This  organisation  afterwards  did  yeoman's  service, 
reconnoitring,  acting  as  despatch  bearers,  cutting  off' 


The  Spirit  of  '76 


329 


intelligence  and  supplies  destined  for  the  enemy's 
ships,  and  more  than  once  engaging  in  close  conflict 
with  the  King  s  marines.  Oar  galleys,  mounting  light 
guns  in  their  bows,  were  also  put  in  commission. 

There  are  a  few  brighter  lights  in  the  dark  picture 
of  that  time.  The  Phosnix  and  Rose,  the  British  war- 
vessels  that  had  ascended  the  river,  were  attacked  at 
their  anchorage  in  the  Tappan  Zee  by  a  fleet  of  six 
*'row  galleys,"  and  a  spirited  fight  kept  up  for  two 
hours.  The  galleys  "  hulled  the  ships  repeatedly,  but 
sustained  great  damage  in  return." 

This  exploit  was  soon  followed  by  another  that  is 
worthy  the  tribute  of  enduring  verse.  The  story  has 
been  graphically  told  by  Irving  in  his  Life  of  Washing- 
ton: 

Two  of  the  fire-ships  recently  constructed  went  up  the  Hud- 
son to  attempt  the  destruction  of  the  ships  whicli  had  so  long 
been  domineering  over  its  waters.  One  succeeded  in  grapphng 
the  PJiLvnix,  and  would  soon  have  set  her  in  flames,  but  in  the 
darkness  got  to  leeward,  and  was  cast  loose  without  effecting 
any  damage.  The  other,  in  making  for  the  Rose,  fell  foul  of  one 
of  the  tenders,  grappled  and  burnt  her.  The  enterprise  was 
conducted  with  spirit,  and  though  it  failed  of  its  main  object, 
had  an  important  effect.  The  commanders  of  the  ships  deter- 
mined to  abandon  those  waters,  where  their  boats  were  fired 
upon  by  the  very  yeomanry  whenever  they  attempted  to  land; 
and  where  their  ships  were  in  danger  from  midnight  incendiaries, 
while  riding  at  anchor.  Taking  advantage  of  a  brisk  wind  and 
favoring  tide,  they  made  all  sail  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
1 8th  of  August  and  stood  down  the  river,  keeping  close  under 
the  eastern  shore,  where  they  supposed  the  guns  from  Mount 
Washington  could  not  be  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  Not- 
withstanding this  precaution,  the  Phoenix  was  thrice  hulled  by 


330 


The  Hudson  River 


shots  from  the  fort,  and  one  of  the  tenders  once.  Tlic  Rose, 
also,  was  hulled  once  by  a  shot  from  Burdett's  Ferry.  The  men 
on  board  were  kept  close,  to  avoid  being  picked  off  by  a  party 
of  riflemen  posted  on  the  river  bank.  The  ships  fired  grape- 
shot  as  they  passed,  but  without  effecting  any  injury.  Unfor- 
tunately, a  passage  had  been  left  open  in  the  obstructions  on 
which  General  Putnam  had  calculated  so  sanguinely;  it  was  to 
have  been  closed  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two.  Through  this 
they  made  their  way,  guided  by  a  deserter;  which  alone,  in 
Putnam's  opinion,  saved  them  from  being  checked  in  their 
career,  and  utterly  destroyed  by  the  batteries. 

We  have  noticed  these  actions  ])articularly,  because 
they  were  among  the  very  first  marine  engagements 
recorded  in  our  national  history. 

Only  a  few  months  after  the  excitement  caused  by 
this  "eruption  of  the  Phoenix  and  the  Rose  into  the 
quiet  waters  of  the  Hudson ' '  had  begun  to  subside  in  a 
measure,  we  find  the  war-ships  again  brushing  past 
the  American  defences  at  Fort  Washington.  The  new 
vessels  designed  for  obstruction,  the  sloop  with  Bush- 
nell's  submarine  engine  on  board,  a  schooner,  and  sev- 
eral scows  were  driven  ashore,  captured,  or  sunk.  The 
galleys  made  strenuous  efforts  to  escape,  some  by 
darting  into  convenient  bays  and  others  by  trusting  to 
their  speed  and  ability  to  sail  over  shallows  where  the 
British  must  have  grounded.  But  two  of  them  ran 
ashore,  and  the  crew  took  to  the  boat  and  made  for 
land  with  all  possible  speed,  their  vessels  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  British. 

All  was  hurry  and  alarm  at  Spuyten  Duyvil,  Yon- 
kers,  and  other  places  along  the  lower  river  shores, 


The  Spirit  of  '76 


331 


and  fleet  craft  carried  the  news  and  spread  the  con- 
sternation from  Manhattan  to  the  Highlands.  The 
thrill  of  anticipation  again  disturbed  the  garrisons  of 
the  Highland  forts,  and  swift  messengers  w^ere  sent  to 
Fishkill,  where  the  Provincial  Congress  was  sitting, 
presided  over  by  Peter  R.  Livingston.  The  Commit- 
tee of  Safety,  at  their  wit  s  end,  wrote  an  appealing 
letter  to  Washington,  detailing  the  dangers  and  pic- 
turing the  inadequacy  of  the  American  force  in  the 
Highlands,  and  praying  him  to  send  reinforcements 
thither. 

Among  the  budgets  of  advice  and  the  plans  for  de- 
fence that  poured  in  at  that  time,  one  letter,  wTitten 
by  John  Jay,  member  of  the  secret  committee  for  the 
defence  of  the  Hudson,  to  Gouverneur  Morris,  chair- 
man of  another  committee,  is  worth  quoting.    He  sa\'s : 

Had  I  been  vested  with  absolute  power  in  this  State,  I  have 
often  said,  and  still  think,  that  I  would  last  spring  have  deso- 
lated all  Long  Island,  Staten  Island,  the  city  and  county  of  New 
York,  and  all  that  part  of  the  county  of  Westchester  which  lies 
below  the  mountains.  I  would  then  have  stationed  the  main 
body  of  the  army  in  the  miountains  on  the  east,  and  eight  or 
ten  thousand  men  in  the  Highlands  on  the  west  side  of  the  river. 
I  would  have  directed  the  river  at  Fort  Montgomery,  which  is 
nearly  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  mountains,  to  be  so 
shallowed  as  to  afford  only  depth  sufficient  for  an  Albany  sloop, 
and  all  the  southern  passes  and  defiles  in  the  mountains  to  be 
strongly  fortified.  Nor  do  I  think  the  shallowing  of  the  river  a 
romantic  scheme.  Rocky  mountains  rise  immediately  from  the 
shores.  The  breadth  is  not  very  great,  though  the  depth  is. 
But  what  cannot  eight  or  ten  thousand  men,  well  worked,  effect? 
According  to  this  plan  of  defence,  the  State  would  be  absolutely 


332 


The  Hudson  River 


imprci^^nablc  against  all  the  world,  on  the  sea  side,  and  would 
have  nothing  to  fear  except  from  the  way  of  the  lake.  Should 
the  enemy  gain  the  river,  even  below  the  mountains,  I  think  I 
foresee  that  a  retreat  would  become  necessary,  and  I  can't  for- 
bear wishing  that  a  desire  of  saving  a  few  acres  may  not  lead 
us  into  difficulties. 

Mr.  Ja\'  at  the  same  time  applied  for  leave  of  ab- 
senee,  stating  as  a  reason  his  solieitude  for  the  welfare 
of  his  aged  parents,  whom  he  desired  to  remove  to  a 
plaee  of  safety. 

When,  after  the  winter  of  1776-77,  the  river  was 
again  free  from  ice  so  as  to  be  navigable,  General 
Howe  sent  a  squadron  of  war- vessels,  with  troops,  to 
destroy  or  capture  American  stores,  one  of  the  princi- 
pal depots  for  which  was  at  Peekskill.  General  Mc- 
Dougall  was,  during  the  absence  of  General  Heath,  in 
command  there,  and,  learning  of  the  approach  of  the 
British,  he  undertook  to  remove  most  of  the  supplies 
to  a  place  of  greater  security.  The  enemy  landed 
five  hundred  men,  with  four  field-pieces,  at  Lent's 
Cove,  on  the  southern  side  of  Peekskill  Bay.  McDou- 
gall,  whose  command  numbered  less  than  three  hun- 
dred, retreated,  having  set  fire  to  his  barracks  and 
store-houses.  He  fell  back  about  two  miles  on  the 
road  to  Continental  Village,  where  the  stores  had  been 
sent,  and  occupied  a  strong  post  that  Washington  had 
noted  in  his  reconnoissance  after  the  battle  of  White 
Plains  in  the  previous  autumn. 

Colonel  Willett  hastened  to  McDougall's  relief  from 
Fort  Constitution,  and  after  a  sharp  skirmish  the 


NEAR  FORT  MONTGOMERY 


333 


The  Spirit  of  '76  335 

British  decamped,  returning  down  the  river  without 
having  accomplished  the  object  of  the  expedition. 

This  affair  aroused  new  anxiety  for  the  Highland 
passes  and  their  defence.  General  George  Clinton, 
who  had  command  of  the  Highland  forts,  ordered  out 
the  militia  of  Westchester,  Orange,  and  Dutchess 
counties.  He  also  strengthened  the  chain  previously 
extended  across  the  river  from  Fort  Montgomery. 
General  McDougall,  still  in  command  at  Peekskill,  re- 
ceived instructions  from  Washington  to  co-operate 
with  Clinton  in  putting  the  fortifications  in  as  perfect 
condition  as  possible  for  defence.  Clinton  was  di- 
rected to  put  as  large  a  force  as  he  could  spare  on  the 
mountains  w^est  of  the  river. 

General  Greene  was  ordered  to  the  Highlands  to 
inspect  the  forts  and  report  upon  the  possibility  of 
attacks  by  water  or  land.  He  was  accompanied  by 
General  Knox,  and,  with  McDougall,  Clinton,  and 
Wayne,  made  the  required  examination.  These  five 
generals  lecommended  that  the  heavy  chain  and  cables 
stretched  across  the  river  be  com]3leted  and  made 
effective. 

Arnold  was  now  offered  the  general  command  of  the 
Hudson,  but  declined.  Putnam,  who  was  named  in 
his  place,  hastened  to  the  Highlands,  and  entered  with 
alacrity  into  the  completion  of  Clinton's  defences. 

It  was  while  at  Verplanck's  Point  that  Putnam  had 
that  famous  brief  correspondence  with  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  regarding  a  spy  taken  within  the  American 


336 


The  Hudson  River 


lilies.  A  vessel  of  war,  |)roceeding  with  haste  from 
New  York,  landed  a  flag  of  truce  at  Verplanck's  Point 
with  a  message  from  the  British  general,  claiming  the 
spy,  Edmund  Palmer,  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  King  s 
service.  Putnam  did  not  waste  words  in  writing  his 
reply : 

Headquarters,  7*^  Aug.  1777. 
Edmund  Palmer,  an  officer  in  the  enemy's  service,  was  taken  as 
a  spy  lurking  within  our  lines.    He  has  been  tried  as  a  spy,  con- 
demned as  a  spy  and  shall  be  executed  as  a  spy;  and  the  flag 
is  ordered  to  depart  immediately. 

Israel  Putnam. 
P.  S. — He  has,  accordingly,  been  executed. 

That  the  temper  of  the  country  w^as  such  as  to  give 
great  satisfaction  to  the  leaders  at  this  time  may  be 
gathered  from  Clinton's  owm  w^ords:  "I  never  knew 
the  militia  to  come  out  with  greater  alacrity."  But 
he  adds,  in  the  same  connection,  "  as  a  great  many  of 
them  have  harvests  in  the  field,  I  fear  it  will  be  diffi- 
cult to  detain  them  long,  unless  the  enemy  will  make 
some  movements  that  indicate  a  design  of  coming  this 
way  suddenly,  and  so  obvious  as  to  be  believed  by  the 
militia." 

With  Burgoyne  trying  to  force  his  way  to  Albany 
from  the  north,  and  Clinton  planning  to  co-operate 
with  him  by  way  of  the  Hudson,  the  general  anxiety 
regarding  the  Highlands  increased  as  the  season  ad- 
vanced. The  forts,  by  autumn,  were  feebly  garri- 
soned.   On  the  29th  of  September,  Putnam,  from  his 


The  Spirit  of  '76 


337 


headquarters  at  Peekskill,  wrote  to  General  George 
Clinton  as  follows: 

I  have  received  intelligence  on  which  I  can  fully  depend,  that 
the  enemy  had  received  a  reinforcement  at  New  York  last 
Thursday,  of  about  three  thousand  British  and  foreign  troops, 
that  General  Clinton  has  called  in  guides  who  belong  about 
Croton  River;  has  ordered  hard  bread  to  be  baked;  that  the 
troops  are  called  from  Paulus  Hook  to  Kings  Bridge,  and  that 
the  whole  troops  are  now  under  marching  orders. 

I  think  it  highly  probable  the  designs  of  the  enemy  are  against 
the  posts  of  the  Highlands  or  of  some  part  of  the  counties  of 
Westchester  or  Dutchess.  .  .  .  The  ships  are  drawn  up  in 
the  river  and  I  believe  nothing  prevents  them  from  paying  us 
an  immediate  visit  but  a  contrary  wind. 

Clinton,  absent  from  his  military  post  while  attend- 
ing to  his  civil  duties  as  Governor,  received  this  urgent 
letter  at  Kingston,  and  at  once  hastened  to  the  High- 
lands, collecting  all  the  militia  that  he  could,  more 
effectually  to  man  the  defences. 

Irving  has  given  the  following  description  of  the 
forts  at  that  time: 

We  have  spoken  of  his  (Clinton's)  Highland  citadel  of  Fort 
Montgomery,  and  of  the  obstructions  of  chain,  boom,  and  che- 
vaiix-de-frise  between  it  and  the  opposite  promontory  of  An- 
thony's Nose.  Fort  Clinton  had  subsequently  been  erected 
within  rifle  shot  of  Fort  Montgomery,  to  occupy  ground  which 
commanded  it.  A  deep  ravine  and  stream,  called  Peploep's 
Kill,  intervened  between  the  two  forts,  across  which  there  was 
a  bridge.  The  governor  had  his  headquarters  in  Fort  Mont- 
gomery, which  was  the  northern  and  largest  fort,  but  its  works 
were  unfinished.  His  brother  James  had  charge  of  Fort  Clinton, 
which  was  complete.  The  whole  force  to  garrison  the  associate 
forts  did  not  exceed  six  hundred  men,  chiefly  militia,  but  they 


338 


The  Hudson  River 


had  the  veteran  Colonel  Lamb,  of  the  artillery,  with  them,  who 
had  served  in  Canada,  and  a  company  of  his  artillerists  was  dis- 
tributed in  the  two  forts. 

Early  in  October,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  sailed  u])  the 
Hudson  with  a  fleet  carrying  three  or  four  thousand 
British  troops  and  Tories.  The  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion was  to  take  the  forts,  Montgomery  and  Clinton, 
opposite  Anthony's  Nose.  There  were  American 
stores  there,  that  had  been  collected  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  the  destruction  of  these  was  the  ostensible 
object  of  the  expedition;  but  it  is  almost  certain  that 
the  idea  of  relieving  Burgoyne  by  a  diversion  carried 
greater  weight. 

A  body  of  troops  was  landed  at  Tarry  town,  marched 
a  short  distance  into  the  country,  returned,  and  re- 
embarked.  This  ruse  had  the  desired  effect  of  deceiv- 
ing General  Putnam  at  Peekskill.  On  the  next  day, 
the  fifth,  Clinton  landed  in  force  at  Verplanck's  Point, 
below  Peekskill,  thus  strengthening  the  impression 
already  created  that  Fort  Independence  and  the  east- 
ern shore  of  the  river  were  to  be  the  scene  of  his  attack. 

Almost  immediately,  however,  the  greater  part  of 
the  troops  were  ferried  across  in  barges  from  Ver- 
planck's to  the  opposite  shore,  and  while  a  body  of 
Tories  on  shore  and  the  war-ships  in  the  river  kept  up 
the  pretence  of  attacking  Fort  Independence,  Clinton 
hurried  the  main  body  of  his  command,  by  a  circuitous 
route,  over  the  hill  passes  back  of  the  Dunderberg, 
towards  Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton.    General  Put- 


The  Spirit  of  '76 


339 


nam  was  completely  outwitted  and  even  sent  to  the 
Governor,  General  George  Clinton,  for  reinforcements. 
But  that  active  officer  was  not  deceived.  He  had 
despatched  scouts  to  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
Highlands,  and  they  soon  returned  with  the  intelli- 
gence that  the  enemy  were  crossing  to  Stony  Point  in 
large  numbers.  He  therefore  made  ready  with  all  the 
haste  possible  to  receive  the  unwelcome  visitors,  and 
in  his  turn  sent  to  Putnam  for  aid.  But,  through  the 
treachery  of  the  messenger,  his  appeal  did  not  reach  its 
destination. 

Dividing  his  force,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  sent  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Campbell,  wdth  nine  hundred  men,  to  take 
a  circuitous  course  by  the  western  side  of  Bear  Hill 
and  approach  Fort  Montgomery  from  the  north  or 
north-west — that  is  to  say,  in  the  rear.  Sir  Henry  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  river  from  the  point  of  division, 
which  was  between  the  Dunderberg  and  Bear  Hill. 
He  then  intended  to  advance  along  a  neck  of  land  lying 
between  the  river  and  Sinipink  Pond  and  fall  upon 
Fort  Clinton. 

A  reconnoitring  party  sent  out  by  the  Governor 
fell  in  with  Sir  Henry's  advance-guard,  and  opened  the 
day's  fighting,  falling  back  towards  the  fort  after  a 
sharp  skirmish. 

Campbell,  advancing  along  the  Bear  Hill  ravine,  was 
met  by  a  sudden  outburst  of  cannon  and  musketry, 
against  which  for  a  time  his  men  could  make  no  head- 
way.   Filing  off  into  the  w^oods  they  attempted  to 


340 


The  Hudson  River 


surround  their  assailants,  and  finally  succeeded  in 
dri\'ing  them  itito  the  fort. 

The  resistance  at  both  of  the  forts  was  obstinate. 
The  garrisons  were  insufficient  to  man  the  works,  but 
even  after  the  enemy,  by  sheer  force  of  numbers,  had 
effected  an  entrance,  the  defenders  refused  to  surren- 
der and  literally  fought  their  way  out,  many  of  them 
escaping  by  the  woods  and  down  the  precipitous  rocks. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  were  either  slain  or  captured 
by  the  British. 

Putnam  did  not  suspect  the  true  direction  of  the 
British  advance  till  the  reverberations  of  the  battle, 
thundering  along  the  cliffs  of  the  Highlands,  revealed 
the  true  state  of  affairs. 

The  escape  of  the  brothers  George  and  James  Clin- 
ton was  almost  marvellous.  The  Governor  leaped  down 
the  rocks  to  the  riverside,  a  breakneck  proceeding,  but 
accomphshed  without  injury,  and  crossed  the  river  in 
a  boat,  to  join  Putnam  on  the  other  side.  His  brother, 
though  wounded,  "  shd  down  a  precipice,  one  hundred 
feet  high,  and  escaped  to  the  woods." 

The  American  frigates  and  galleys  stationed  above, 
finding  it  impossible  to  escape  the  advance  of  the  Brit- 
ish ships  or  withstand  their  fire,  were  consigned  to  de- 
struction, and  one  after  another  went  up  in  flames. 
Then  the  victorious  enemy  proceeded  to  destroy  the 
chevaux-de-frise  and  clear  the  river.  Proceeding 
through  the  passage  thus  made,  Sir  James  Wallace  and 
General  Vaughn  advanced  to  Kingston,  then  the  State 


The  Spirit  of  '76  343 

capital;  but  this  is  another  story,  and  will  find  its 
place  in  another  chapter. 

The  main  object  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  attack,  which 
was  to  create  a  diversion  in  favour  of  General  Bur- 
goyne,  was  a  complete  failure,  as  that  officer,  in  the 
course  of  ten  days,  yielded  to  the  harassing  attentions 
of  his  foes. 


Chapter  XXI 


A  Voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769 

A HITHERTO  unpubHshed  account  of  a  voyage 
up  the  Hudson  in  1769  is  here  presented.  It 
is  taken  from  a  manuscript  journal,  written 
by  the  proprietor  of  the  great  tract  of  land  in  the  in- 
terior of  New  York  State,  that  was  known  to  the  old 
map-makers  as  the  Smith  patent: 

With  a  View  to  survey  a  large  Tract  of  Land  then  lately  pur- 
chased from  the  Indians  I  departed  from  Burlington  for  Otego 
May  3d,  1769,  in  company  with  Rich'd  Wells,  now  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  the  Surveyors  Joseph  Biddle  Junr.  &  William  Ridg- 
way,  as  also  John  Hicks.  May  5th.  In  the  Morning  we  ar- 
rived at  Paulus  Hook  Ferry,  went  over  and  dined  at  Burns's 
Tavern  in  New  York  &  this  we  deemed  an  indifferent  House, 
here  we  saw  the  Govr.  Sir  Henry  Moore  and  other  noted  men, 
in  the  Afternoon  we  took  passage  in  a  sloop,  Richd.  Scoonhoven, 
Skipper,  for  Albany,  had  fine  weather  and  found  it  extremely 
agreeable  Sailing  with  the  country  Seats  of  the  Citizens  on  the 
Right  Hand,  the  high  Lands  of  Bergen  on  the  Left  and  the  Nar- 
rows abaft.  We  sailed  about  13  or  14  Miles  &  then  came  to 
Anchor  for  the  Night,  the  great  Rains  just  before  we  set  out 
had  caused  the  Water  of  the  North  River  to  taste  almost  fresh 
at  this  Place.  The  Bergen  Shore  is  high  and  Rocky  &  the  East- 
ern Side  diversified  with  Hill  and  Gully. 

6th.  These  Albany  Sloops  contain  very  convenient  Cabins. 
We  eat  from  a  regular  Table  accommodated  with  Plates,  Knives 

344 


A  Voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769  345 


&  Forks  &  enjoyed  our  Tea  in  the  Afternoon,  we  had  laid  in 
some  Provision  at  N.  York  &  the  Capt.  some  more  so  that  we 
Hved  very  well,  our  Commander  is  very  jocose  &  good  company. 
About  7  ocloc  we  passed  Spite  the  Devil  (why  so  called  I  know 
not)  or  Harlem  River  which  divides  the  Manhattan  Island  from 
the  Connecticut,  the  Entrance  here  appears  to  be  narrow, 
bounded  on  each  side  with  high  Land,  Kings  Bridge  said  to  be 
about  a  Mile  from  this  Entrance  but  not  in  Sight.  The  Bergen 
Coast  continues  to  be  lined  with  lofty  Rocks,  thinly  overspread 
with  Cedars,  Spruce  &  Shrubs.  Nearly  opposite  to  Tappan  we 
took  a  Turn  on  Shore  to  a  Part  of  Col.  Philips's  Manor,  from 
the  Hills  of  which  are  beautiful  Prospects.  All  the  Country  on 
both  sides  of  the  River  from  the  City  is  hilly.    The  ^lanor  of 

Philipsburg  according  to  our  Information,  extends  about   

Miles  on  the  River  and  about  6  Miles  back  and  is  joined  above 
by  the  Manor  of  Cortland,  this  Morng.  the  Sloop  passed  by  Col. 
Philips's  Mansion  House  and  Gardens  situate  in  a  pleasant  Val- 
ley between  Highlands,  the  country  hereabout  excels  ours  by  far 
in  fine  Prospects  and  the  Trees  &  Vegetables  appear  to  be  as 
forward  almost  as  those  at  Burlington  when  we  left  it,  but  I 
conceive  that  our  countrymen  excel  the  People  here  in  cultiva- 
tion— hardly  any  Houses  appear  on  the  Bergen  Side  from 
Paulus  Hook  to  the  Line  of  Orange  County.  The  Tenant  for 
Life  here  tells  me  he  pays  to  Col.  Philips  only  £'j ,  per  Annum 
for  about  200  acres  of  Land  &  thinks  it  an  extravagant  Rent 
because  on  his  demise  or  Sale  his  Son  or  Vendee  is  obliged  to 
pay  to  the  Landlord  one  Third  of  the  Value  of  the  Farm  for  a 
Renewal  of  the  Lease.  The  Skipper  gave  here  5  coppers  for  a 
Quart  of  Milk  &  Mr.  Wells  bought  Ten  small  Rock  Fish  for  1 2 
coppers.  The  Freight  of  a  Bushel  of  Wheat  from  Albany  to  N. 
York  according  to  our  Skipper  is  Four  Pence,  of  a  Barrel  of 
Flour  one  Shilling  and  of  a  Hogshead  of  Flour  7/6  and  he  thinks 
the}^  have  the  same  rates  from  Kaatskill.  In  the  Night  we  ran 
ground  among  the  Highlands  about  50  ]\Iiles  from  N.  York  be- 
tween Orange  and  Duchess  Counties.  The  Highlands  here  are 
not  so  lofty  as  I  expected  and  the  River  at  this  place  appears 
to  be  about  Half  a  Mile  wide. 

7th    Our  Company  went  on  Shore  up  the  Rocks  to  a  miserable 


346 


The  Hudson  River 


Farm  and  House  in  Orange  &  left  with  the  Farmer  a  Direction 
for  Otego  (the  Name  of  a  Creek  of  the  River  Susquehannah 
whereon  &  in  the  Vicinity  we  afterwards  formed  a  Settlement) 
as  he  and  a  few  of  his  Neighbours  seemed  desirous  to  seek  new 
Habitations,  he  pays  Seven  Pounds  a  Year  Rent  for  al)Out  loo 
acres  including  Rocks  and  Mountains — Hudson's  River  is  strait 
to  the  Highlands,  but  thro  them  very  crooked,  many  Straw- 
berries are  to  be  seen  about  the  Banks  &  stony  Fields.  Mar- 
tiler's  Rock  stands  in  a  part  of  the  River  which  is  exceeding 
deep  with  a  bold  Shore  encircled  on  either  Hand  by  aspiring 
^Mountains  &  thro  them  there  is  a  View  of  a  fine  Country  above, 
here  it  is  chiefly  that  the  sudden  Flaws  sometimes  take  the 
River  Vessels  for  which  Reason  they  have  upright  blasts  for  the 
more  expeditious  low^ering  of  the  Sails  on  any  sudden  Occasion 
— beyond  the  above  Rock  lies  Pollaples  Island — but  a  few  Wheat 
and  Rye  Fields  appear  along  the  East  Side  of  the  River  from 
N.  York  hither  and  a  very  few  Fields  are  ploughed  as  if  intended 
for  Indian  Corn,  the  Lands  seem  proper  for  Sheep  or  perhaps 
(if  the  severity  of  our  Winters  will  admit)  for  Vineyards.  On 
the  AVest  Side  among  the  Highlands  are  only  a  few  Houses 
seated  in  the  small  Vallies  between  the  Mountains.  From  the 
streights  between  Butter  Hill  and  Broken  Neck  Hill  &  below 
them  there  is  a  distant  Prospect  of  the  Kaatskill  Mounts,  to  the 
N.  W.  Murderers  Creek  which  runs  by  the  Butter  Hill  divides 
the  Counties  of  Orange  and  Ulster,  there  are  a  few  Houses  at 
the  Mouth  of  the  Creek.  The  soil  in  these  Parts  is  broken, 
stony  and  few  places  proper  for  the  Plow.  What  grain  we  saw 
growing  was  but  indifferent.  About  one  ocloc  we  passed  by  the 
Town  of  New  Windsor  on  the  Left,  seeming  at  a  Distance  to 
consist  of  about  50  Houses  Stores  and  Out  houses  placed  with- 
out any  regular  Order,  here  end  the  Highlands.  This  Town  has 
some  Trade  and  probably  hereafter  may  be  a  place  of  Conse- 
quence as  the  fine  Country  of  Goshen  is  said  to  lie  back  about 
12  or  more  Miles.  On  the  East  Side  of  the  River  a  little  above 
Windsor  is  the  Fish  Kill  &  Landing  whence  the  Sloops  carry  the 
Produce  of  that  Side  for  Market.  The  North  River  is  here 
thought  to  be  near  Two  Miles  wide  and  the  General  Range  of 
the  Highlands  by  the  Compass  as  taken  on  the  N.  Side  by  our 


A  Voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769  349 


Surveyors  is  W.  S.  W.  &  E.  X.  E.  We  took  a  Turn  on  Shore 
at  Denton's  Mill  called  60  Miles  from  X.  York  and  walked  above 
Two  Miles  down  the  River  to  X'^ewbury  a  small  scattered  Village 
&  to  Denton's  Ferry,  we  found  excellent  Cyder  at  both.  The 
Xew  England  men  cross  here  &  hereabouts  almost  daily  for 
Susquehannah,  their  Rout  is  from  hence  to  the  Minisink's  ac- 
counted only  40  Miles  distant,  &  we  are  told  that  700  of  their 
Men  are  to  be  in  that  Country  by  the  first  of  June  next,  A  sen- 
sible Woman  informed  Us  that  Two  Men  of  her  Xeighbourhood 
have  been  several  Times  across  to  those  Parts  of  Susquehannah 
w^hich  He  in  York  Government  &  here  the  people  say  our  Rout 
by  Albany  is  above  100  ^liles  out  of  the  Way,  this  is  since  found 
to  be  true,  yet  that  Rout  is  used  because  it  is  the  only  Waggon 
Road  to  Lake  Otsego.  The  Lands  near  Hudsons  River  now 
appear  less  Hilly  tho  not  level,  &  a  few  Settlements  are  visible 
here  and  there,  the  Houses  &  Improvements  not  extraordinary. 
Denton's  Mill  above  mentioned  has  a  remarkable  large  Fall  of 
Water  forming  a  beautiful  Cascade,  we  saw  several  other  Cas- 
cades and  Rills — divers  LimeKills  and  much  Lime  Stone  on  each 
Shore  hereaway  &  some  Appearance  of  ]\Ieadow  Land  of  which 
we  have  hitherto  seen  very  little.  Lime  Stone,  it  is  said,  may  be 
found  on  either  Side  of  the  River  from  the  Highlands  to  Sopus. 
We  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  sundry  Sloops  &  Shallops  passing 
back  and  forwards  with  the  Produce  of  the  Country  and  Returns, 
in  the  Evening  we  sailed  thro'  a  remarkable  Undulation  of  the 
Water  for  a  Mile  or  Two  which  tossed  the  Sloop  about  much  and 
made  several  passengers  sick,  the  more  observable  as  the  Pas- 
sage before  and  and  after  was  quite  smooth  &  little  Wind  stirring 
at  the  Time,  We  anchored  between  Two  high  Shores  bespread 
with  Spruce,  Chestnut  Oaks  and  other  Trees,  very  like  the  tower- 
ing Banks  of  Bergen. 

8th.  There  is  a  high  Road  from  X'ew  York  to  Albany  on 
both  sides  of  the  River,  but  that  on  the  East  side  is  most  fre- 
quented; both  Roads  have  a  View  now  and  then  of  the  River. 
Poughkeepsing  the  County  Town  of  Duchess  stands  above  the 
FishKill  a  little  beyond  the  rough  Water  already  noted.  We 
passed  the  Town  in  the  Xight.  Slate  Stone  Rocks  on  the  West 
Shore  at  and  below  Little  Sopus  from  whence  X'.  York  has  of 


350 


The  Hudson  Ri\  cr 


late  been  supplied:  they  reckon  Little  Sopus  Island  to  he  Ilalf- 
Way  hetween  X.  York  and  Alhany.  tlie  Weather  yesterday 
and  to  day  very  warm  but  the  Mornings  and  Evenings  are  cool. 
Our  Skipper  says  there  are  at  Albany  31  Sloops  all  larger  than 
this,  which  carry  from  400  to  500  Barrels  of  Flour  each,  trading 
constantly  from  thence  to  York  &  that  they  make  Eleven  or  12 
Trips  a  year  each.  The  general  Course  of  Hudson's  River  as 
taken  by  compass  is  N.  &  by  E.  and  S.  and  by  W.  in  some  Places 
North  North  and  South.  Between  the  Highlands  and  Kaats- 
kill  both  these  Mountains  are  in  view  at  the  same  Time.  At 
Two  ocloc  we  arrived  off  the  Walkill,  there  are  2  or  3  Houses  at 
the  Mouth  of  the  Creek  &  a  Trade  carried  on  in  Six  or  Seven 
sloops.  Kingston  the  County  Town  of  Ulster  stands  about  Two 
Miles  distant  but  not  visible  from  the  Water  (this  Town  has 
been  since  burnt  by  the  British  Gen.  Vaughan)  The  Kaatskill 
I\Iountains  to  the  N.  W.  appear  to  be  very  near  tho  they  are  at 
a  considerable  Distance.  The  Country  on  both  Sides  continues 
still  hilly  and  rugged  and  what  Wheat  is  growing,  looks  much 
thrown  out  and  gullied — more  Houses  &  Improvements  shew 
themselves  along  the  Sopus  Shore  and  Opposite  being  an  old 
settled  Country — our  Vessel  came  to  Anchor  a  little  above  the 
Walkill  about  60  Miles  from  Albany.  We  went  on  shore  to  Two 
stone  Farm  Houses  on  Beekman  Manor  in  the  County  of  Duch- 
ess, the  Men  were  absent  &  the  AVomen  and  children  could 
speak  no  other  Language  than  Low  Dutch,  our  Skipper  was 
Interpreter.  One  of  these  Tenants  for  Life  or  a  very  Long 
Term  or  for  Lives  (uncertain  which)  pays  20  Bushels  of  Wheat 
in  Kind  for  97  Acres  of  cleared  Land  &  Liberty  to  get  Wood  for 
necessary  Uses  any  where  in  the  Manor — 12  Eggs  sold  here  for 
six  pence,  Butter  i4d  per  pound  and  2  shad  cost  6d.  One 
Woman  was  very  neat  &  the  Iron  Hoops  of  her  Pails  scowered 
bright,  the  Houses  are  mean.  We  saw  one  Piece  of  good  Meadow 
which  is  scarce  here  away,  the  Wheat  was  very  much  thrown 
out,  the  Aspect  of  the  Farms  rough  and  hilly  like  all  the  rest  and 
the  Soil  a  stiff  clay.  One  Woman  had  Twelve  good  counte- 
nanced Boys  and  Girls  all  clad  in  Homespun  both  Linen  and 
Woolen,  here  was  a  Two  wheeled  Plow  drawn  by  3  horses  abreast, 
a  Scythe  with  a  short,  crooked  Handle  and  a  Kind  of  Hook  both 


A  Voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769  351 

used  to  cut  down  Grain,  for  the  Sickle  is  not  much  known  in 
Albany  County  or  in  this  Part  of  Duchess. 

9th  We  arose  in  the  Morng.  opposite  to  a  large  Brick  House 
on  the  East  Side  belonging  to  Mr.  Livingston's  Father  to  Robert 
R.  Livingston  the  Judge,  in  the  Lower  Manor  of  Livingston. 
Albany  County  now  on  either  Hand,  &  sloping  Hills  here  and 
there  covered  with  Grain  like  all  the  rest  we  we  have  seen,  much 
thrown  out  by  the  Frost  of  last  Winter.  Landing  on  the  West 
Shore  we  found  a  Number  of  People  fishing  with  a  Sein,  they 
caught  plenty  of  Shad  and  Herring  and  use  Canoes  altogether 
having  long,  neat  and  strong  Ropes  made  by  the  People  them- 
selves of  Elm  Bark.  Here  we  saw  the  first  Indian  a  Mohicon 
named  Hans  clad  in  no  other  Garment  than  a  shattered  Blanket, 
he  lives  near  the  KaatsKill  &  had  a  Scunk  Skin  for  his  Tobacco 
Pouch,  the  Tavern  of  this  Place  is  most  wretched — Trees  are 
out  in  Leaf,  Cattle  and  Sheep,  nothing  different  from  ours,  are 
now  feeding  on  the  Grass  which  seems  to  be  nearly  as  forward 
as  with  us  wdien  we  left  Burlington,  the  Trees  quite  as  forward 
&  the  Wliite  Pine  is  common.  One  Shad  taken  with  the  rest  had 
a  Lamprey  Eel  about  7  Inches  long  fastened  to  his  Back,  I  was 
informed  hereby  a  person  concerned  in  measuring  it  that  the 
Distance  from  KaatsKill  Landing  to  Schoharie  is  32^  Miles 
reckoned  to  Capt.  Eckerson's  House,  a  good  Waggon  Road  and 
Produce  brot.  down  daily  from  thence  to  Cherry  Valley  half  a 
Day's  Journey,  that  People  are  now  laying  out  a  New  Road 
from  SopusKill  to  Schoharie  which  is  supposed  to  be  about  32|- 
Miles,  Sopus  Creek  is  about  11  Miles  below  KatsKill  Creek  and 
a  Mile  below  where  we  now  landed,  they  say  that  7  or  8  Sloops 
belong  to  Sopus — the  Fish  are  the  same  in  Hudsons  River  above 
the  salt  Water  as  in  the  Delaware — the  Skipper  bought  a  Parcel 
of  Fish  here  cheap,  these  Fishermen  draw  their  Nets  oftener 
than  ours  not  stopping  between  the  Draughts.  At  3  ocloc  we 
passed  by  the  German  Camp  a  small  Village  so  called  having 
Two  Churches,  situated  on  the  East  Side  of  the  River,  upon  a 
rising  Ground  which  shews  the  Place  to  Advantage,  some  Dis- 
tance further  on  the  same  Side  of  the  River  we  sailed  by  the 
Upper  Manor  House  of  Livingston,  a  Quantity  of  low  cripple 
Land  may  be  seen  on  the  opposite  Side  &  this  reaches  4  miles 


352 


The  1 1  nelson  Rix'cr 


to  the  KaatsKill  callcnl  36  .Miles  from  Albany  off  the  Mouth  of 
this  Creek  we  have  a  View  of  the  large  House  built  by  John 
Dyer  the  Person  who  made  the  Road  from  hence  to  Schoharie 
at  the  lilxpensce  of  ^'400,  if  common  Report  may  be  credited — 
Two  Sloops  belong  to  KaatsKill,  a  little  beyond  the  Mouth 
whereof  lies  the  large  Island  of  Vastic — there  is  a  House  on  the 
North  Side  of  the  Creek  and  another  with  several  Saw  Mills  on 
the  South  Side  but  no  Town  as  we  expected.  Sloops  go  no  fur- 
ther than  Dyer  about  Half  a  Mile  up  the  Creek,  the  Lands  on 
both  Sides  of  KaatsKill  belong  to  Vanberger,  Van  Vecthe,  Salis- 
bury, Dubois  &  a  Man  in  York,  their  Lands,  as  our  Skipper 
says,  extend  up  the  Creek  12  Miles  to  Barber  the  English  Gentle- 
man his  Settlement,  the  Creek  runs  thro  the  KaatsKill  Mounts, 
said  hereabouts  to  be  at  the  Distance  of  12  or  14  Miles  from  the 
North  River  but  there  are  Falls  above  which  obstruct  the  Navi- 
gation (these  particular  Enquiries  were  made  because  this  was 
supposed  to  be  the  nearest  Port  to  our  newly  purchased  Terri- 
tory.) We  landed  in  the  Evening  on  the  KaatsKill  Shore  4 
Miles  above  the  Creek  but  could  gain  no  satisfactory  Intelli- 
gence only  that  the  Dutchess  of  Gordon  and  her  Husband  Col. 
Staats  Long  Morris  were  just  gone  from  Dyer's  House  for  Cherry 
Valley  &  Susquehanna  with  Two  Waggons,  they  went  by  the 
Way  of  Freehold  at  the  Foot  of  the  Mountains  on  this  Side  and 
so  over  them  to  Schoharie  guessed  to  be  about  32^  ^liles  as  was 
said  before. 

loth.  We  passed  by  Sunday  Islands  whereof  Scutters  Island 
affords  a  good  low  Bottom  fit  for  Meadow  and  some  of  it  is 
improved,  Bear's  Island  said  to  be  the  Beginning  of  the  Manor 
of  Renslaerwic  which  extends  on  both  Sides  of  the  River,  the 
Lords  of  Manors  are  called  by  the  common  People  Patroons, 
Bearen  Island  or  Bears  Island  just  mentioned  is  reputed  to  be 
12  Miles  below  Albany — Cojemans  Houses  with  Two  Grist  Mills 
&  Two  Saw  Mills  stand  a  little  above  on  the  West  Side  and 
opposite  is  an  Island  of  about  Two  Acres  covered  with  young 
Button  Wood  Trees  which  Island,  our  Skipper  says,  has  arisen 
there  to  his  Knowledge  within  16  years  and  since  he  has  navi- 
gated the  River — more  low,  bottom  Land  is  discovered  as  we 
pass  up,  generally  covered  with  Trees  being  cleared  might  be 


A  Voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769  353 


made  good  Meadow  by  Banking  an  Improvement  to  which  the 
Inhabitants  are  altogether  Strangers,  the  upper  End  of  Scotoc's 
Island  is  a  fine  cleared  Bottom  not  in  Grass  but  partly  in  Wheat 
&  partly  in  Tilth,  however  there  was  one  rich  Meadow  improved, 
we  saw  the  the  first  Batteaux  a  few  Miles  below  Albany,  Canoes 
being  the  Common  Craft.  One  Staat's  House  is  prettily  fixed 
on  a  rising  Ground  in  a  low  Island,  the  City  of  Albany  being  3 
miles  a  Head  we  discovered  for  the  first  Time  a  Spot  of  Meadow 
Ground,  ploughed  and  sowed  with  Peas  in  the  Broad  Cast  Way, 
the  Uplands  are  now  covered  with  Pitch  Pine  &  are  sandy  and 
barren  as  the  Desarts  of  N.  Jersey,  as  we  approach  the  Town 
the  Houses  multiply  on  each  shore  and  we  observe  a  person  in  the 
Act  of  Sowing  Peas  upon  a  fruitful  Meadow  on  an  Island  to  the 
right.  The  Hudson  near  Albany  seems  to  be  about  Half  a  Mile 
over.  Henry  Cuyler's  Brick  House  on  the  East  Side  about  a 
mile  below  the  Town  looks  well  &  we  descry  the  King's  stables 
a  long  wooden  Building  on  the  left  &  on  the  same  side  Philip 
Schuyler's  Grand  House  with  whom  at  present  resides  Col. 
Bradstreet  (since  deceased  &  Schuyler  is  now  a  Major  Gen.  in 
the  Service  of  the  United  States)  Col.  John  Van  Renslaer  has 
a  good  House  on  the  East  Side.  At  Half  after  10  oCloc  we 
arrived  at  Albany  estimated  to  be  164  Miles  by  Water  from  N. 
York  and  by  Land  157.  In  the  afternoon  we  viewed  the  Town 
which  contains  according  to  several  Gentlemen  residing  here, 
about  500  Dwelling  Houses  besides  Stores  and  Out  Houses. 
The  Streets  are  irregular  and  badly  laid  out,  some  paved  others 
not.  Two  or  Three  are  broad  the  rest  narrow  &  not  straight, 
most  of  the  Buildings  are  pyramidically  shaped  like  the  old 
Dutch  Houses  in  N.  York,  we  found  Cartwright's  a  good  Tavern 
tho  his  charges  were  exorbitant  &  it  is  justly  remarked  by  Kahn 
the  Swedish  Traveller  in  America  that  the  Townsmen  of  Albany 
in  general  sustained  the  character  of  being  close,  mercenary  and 
avaricious — they  deem  it  60  miles  from  Albany  to  Cherry  Valley 
— We  did  not  note  any  extraordinary  Edifices  in  the  Town  nor  is 
there  a  single  Building  facing  Albany  on  the  other  Side  of  the 
River.  The  Fort  is  in  a  ruinous  neglected  Condition  and  no- 
thing now  to  be  seen  of  Fort  Orange  erected  by  the  Dutch  but 
part  of  the  Fosse  or  Ditch  which  surrounded  it.    The  Barracks 


23 


354 


The  1 1 lulson  Ri\  cr 


are  built  of  Wood  and  of  ordinary  W'orkmanshi])  tlic  same 
may  be  said  of  the  King's  Store  ib)uses.  Tlie  Court  Ib)use  is 
large  and  the  jail  under  it,  one  miserable  Woman  is  now  in  it 
ioT  eutting  the  Throat  of  her  Child  about  5  years  old.  There 
are  4  Houses  of  Worshi])  for  different  Denominations  and  a 
])ublic  Library  which  we  did  not  \'isit,  most  of  the  Houses  are 
built  of  Brick  or  faced  with  Brick.  The  Inhabitants  generally 
speak  both  Dutch  and  English  &  some  do  not  understand  the 
latter.  The  Shore  and  the  Wharves  3  in  Numl)er  abounded  in 
Lumber.  Stephen  VanRenslaer  the  Patron  or  Lord  of  the 
Manor  of  Renslaerwick  his  House  stands  a  little  above  the  Town 
he  is  a  young  man  (since  deceased) — the  Site  of  the  Town  is 
hilly  and  the  Soil  clay  but  round  the  place  it  is  a  mere  Sand 
bearing  pine  Trees  chiefly  of  the  Pitch  Pine,  some  Lime  or  Linden 
Trees  as  well  as  other  Trees  are  planted  before  the  Doors  as  at 
N.  York  and  indeed  Albany  has  in  other  Respects  much  the 
Aspect  of  that  City,  the  Houses  are  for  the  most  Part  covered 
with  Shingles  made  of  White  Pine,  some  few  with  red  or  black 
Tiles.  In  one  of  the  Streets  there  is  a  Sign  of  the  Jersey  Shoe 
Ware  House  being  supplied  in  Part  with  Shoes  by  Henry  Guest 
of  X.  Brunswick,  there  is  a  Town  Cloc  which  strikes  regularlv. 
We  saw  some  Indians  here  &  found  the  Weather  very  warm  and 
sultry. 

iith  Having  hired  an  open  AYaggon  the  Company  cjuitted 
Albany  early  in  the  Morng.  intending  for  Schenectady  by  way 
of  Cahoe's  Falls,  the  Fare  of  the  AVaggon  with  Two  Horses  was 
2op.  It  is  called  7  miles  from  the  City  to  the  Mouth  of  the 
Alohawk's  River  &  from  thence  to  the  Cahoes  5  Miles,  from  the 
Cahoes  to  Schenectady  16  Miles  from  Albany  to  Schenectady  in 
a  Direct  Line  along  the  usual  Road  1 7  Miles  (there  are  now  Mile 
Stones  set  up)  The  Patroons  House  at  the  North  End  of  Albany 
is  a  large  handsome  Mansion  with  a  good  Garden  &  Wheat 
Field  that  reaches  down  to  the  North  River,  the  Road  leads 
along  the  Bank  for  about  6  or  7  miles  from  Albany  and  the  rich 
Bottom  on  each  side  of  the  River  is  near  Half  a  Mile  broad  con- 
sisting of  a  black  Mould  very  level  &  low,  proper  for  the  best 
Sort  of  Aleadow,  but  here  sown  w4th  AVheat  and  Peas  both 
which  look  well,  some  of  the  Peas  are  up  and  some  are  now  sow- 


A  Voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769  355 


ing,  very  little  Indian  corn  is  raised  in  these  Parts  &  that  not 
planted  in  Furrows  &  Rows  but  at  random,  one  Field  excepted, 
they  plant  three  or  4  Feet  apart  in  the  Hills  &  the  same  Ground 
every  year,  the  Land  back  of  this  fertile  Space  is  covered  with 
the  Pitch  and  White  Pine  chiefly  and  yet  not  bad  Land,  and 
along  the  Mohawks  River  also  this  rich  flat  Ground  extends 
from  a  Quarter  to  Half  a  Mile  wide,  but  somewhat  narrower  on 
the  upper  parts  of  that  River.  This  Stream  at  the  Cahoes  is 
reckoned  to  be  about  a  Quarter  of  a  Mile  in  Breadth  &  the  Falls 
extend  quite  across,  the  Heighth  of  the  Fall  is  conjectured  by 
Mr.  Wells  &  the  Two  Surveyors  to  be  60  Feet  or  upwards  but  I 
have  seen  a  Copper  plate  that  calls  it  75,  tho'  upon  ocular  view 
it  appears  less,  the  Fall  is  almost  perpendicular,  the  whole  Body 
of  the  River  brawling  over  a  Slate  Rock,  the  Banks  of  the  River 
consist  of  this  Rock  intermixed  with  a  crumbling  stone  and  are 
perhaps  30  feet  higher  than  the  Bed  of  the  River,  the  whole 
looks  as  white  as  cream  except  in  the  middle  where  the  black 
Rock  projects  a  little  and  the  water  breaks  into  many  small 
Rills,  We  descended  down  to  the  Shore  by  a  dangerous  passage 
and  ascended  by  the  same  after  examining  every  Thing  below 
particularly  some  heavy  Stones  and  other  Indications  of  a  Cop- 
per Mine  being  not  far  off,  upon  quitting  this  Spot  we  directed 
our  Course  for  Schenectady  &  passed  some  excellent  Farms  and 
likewise  some  poor  barren  Pine  Land  yet  we  saw  choice  Ground 
bearing  the  Jersey  or  Pitch  Pine  a  Thing  to  me  heretofore  un- 
known, the  Course  from  the  Cahoes  to  Schenectady  was  nearlv 
West,  about  six  Miles  below  that  Town  we  are  told  that  the 
rich  Bottoms  sell  at  or  £40  p  Acre  while  the  Upland  will 
only  fetch  £^  or  thereabouts,  they  hardly  ever  plow  their  Up- 
land the  Indian  Corn  in  the  Rich  Lands  is  said  to  produce  from 
40  to  60  Bushels  an  Acre  altho  every  Year  planted  in  the  same 
Earth.  By  the  Information  reed.  Stephen  Van  Renslaers 
Manor  extends  on  each  Side  of  the  North  River  12  Miles  below 
Albany  and  12  above  by  48  Miles  across  East  &  West.  Along 
the  Road  the  Trees  are  out  in  full  Leaf  and  the  Grass  in  the 
Vales  several  Inches  high,  Clover  and  Timothy  common  to  the 
Country,  they  use  wheeled  Plows  mostly  with  3  Horses  abreast 
.&  plow  and  harrow  sometimes  on  a  full  Trot,  a  Boy  sitting  on 


356 


The  I  Iiulson  River 


one  Ilf^rso.  tlic  Timber  in  these  Parts  ])esi(les  the  Two  sorts  of 
Pine  eonsists  of  I^lae  Wliite  Oak,  WHiite  and  l)rown  Aspen 
large  and  small  Bilberry,  Maple  red  Oak  Hazel  Bushes,  Ash  and 
Gum  tojj^ether  with  Butternut  and  Shcllbark  Hiccory  in  ])lenty, 
Elm  anil  others,  the  Woods  abound  in  Strawberries,  and  we 
find  tlie  Ap])lc  Trees,  Bilberries,  Cherries  and  some  others  in 
Blossom  as  are  the  wild  Plums  wdiich  are  very  common  here. 
We  were  informed  by  Dr.  Stringer  at  Albany  that  the  Owners 
of  Hardenberghs  or  the  great  Patent  sell  their  Lands  in  Fee  at 
7/6  per  Acre. 


Chapter  XXII 


Among  the  Hills 

A POET  was  abroad  when  the  Highland  hills  were 
named.  Dunderberg,  first, — what  a  sonorous 
mouthful  it  is! — is  equal  to  all  the  creatures 
of  history  and  the  creations  of  romance  that  can  ever 
be  added  to  it.  Cro'  Nest  has  a  unique  suggestion  of 
untamed  crags  and  the  sweep  of  wings  through  cling- 
ing masses  of  cloud.  Storm  King  is  not  quite  so  good ; 
it  is  artificial,  and  one  needs  hardly  to  be  told  that 
Willis  invented  the  name  to  take  the  place  of  Boter- 
berg,  or  Butter  Hill,  so  called  by  the  Dutch  because  it 
was  thought  to  resemble  a  huge  pat  of  butter.  Then 
there  is  Beacon  Hill,  reminiscent  of  the  fires  that 
blazed  to  tell  the  country  for  miles  around  that  the 
war  was  over;  and  Bull  Hill,  that  has  been  latinised 
into  Mount  Taurus.  There  used  to  be  a  wild  bull  that 
terrorised  the  country  back  of  that  hill  for  many  a  day, 
till  at  last  a  strong  hunting  party  undertook  to  hunt 
him  down  and  slay  him.  Forced  to  flee  before  his 
pursuers,  he  made  one  final,  mad  rush  for  the  very 
crest  of  the  hill  and  plunged  out  into  space,  to  leave 
his  magnificent  body  a  broken  and  shapeless  mass  on 

357 


358 


The  Hudson  River 


the  roeks  below  and  his  name  as  a  le^^aey  to  the  moun- 
tain he  used  to  haunt.  Sugar-Loaf  was  so  called  for 
tlie  ()l)\'ious  reason  that  it  is,  in  form,  sim])ly  an  old- 
fasluoned  loaf  of  sugar,  of  brobdignagian  proportions. 
Wdiat  Bear  Mountain  owes  its  name  to  we  confess  that 
we  are  unable  to  say,  but  it  is  probable  that  some 
early  hunter  s  exploit,  or  perhaps  the  prevalence  of  the 
tribe  of  l)ruin,  suggested  it. 

There  is  one  more  of  the  principal  elevations  of  the 
Highlands  to  mention.  Mr.  Charles  M.  Skinner,  in  his 
delightful  Myths  and  Legends,  calls  it  "the  aquiline 
promontor}^  that  abuts  on  the  Hudson  opposite  Dun- 
derberg."  There  is  at  its  base  an  opening  that,  from 
a  distance,  resembles  nothing  so  much  as  an  ant-hill 
entrance,  and  from  near  at  hand  suggests  the  den  of 
some  fabulous  monster  that  issues,  with  basilisk  eye, 
and  flame  and  smoke,  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 
Really  it  is  a  fair  compromise  betw^een  these  two  ex- 
treme estimates,  being  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a 
raihvay  tunnel.  The  origin  of  the  name  of  this  hill  is 
not  a  matter  of  doubt,  since  it  has  been  satisfactorily 
explained  by  the  grand  arbiter  of  Hudson  River  names 
and  legends. 

It  w^as  not  named  after  the  redoubtable  saint  of  the 
same  name,  as  one  might  naturally  suppose,  but  was 
called  in  honour  of  that  Dutchman  of  parts,  Anthony 
Van  Corlaer,  the  trumpeter: 

It  must  be  known  then  that  the  nose  of  Anthony  the 
trumpeter  was  of  a  very  lusty  size,  strutting  boldly  from  his 


4 


Among  the  Hills  361 


countenance  like  a  mountain  of  Golconda,  being  sumptuously 
bedecked  with  rubies  and  other  precious  stones — the  true  regalia 
of  a  king  of  good  fellows,  which  jolly  Bacchus  grants  to  all  who 
bouse  it  heartily  at  the  flagon.  Now  thus  it  happened,  that 
bright  and  early  in  the  morning,  the  good  Anthony,  having 
washed  his  burly  visage,  was  leaning  over  the  quarter  rail  of 
the  galley  (of  Stuyvesant's  yacht,  in  the  Highlands),  contem- 
plating the  glassy  wave  below.  Just  at  this  moment  the  illus- 
trious sun,  breaking  in  all  his  splendour  from  behind  a  high 
bluff  of  the  Highlands,  did  dart  one  of  his  most  potent  beams 
full  upon  the  refulgent  nose  of  the  sounder  of  brass — the  reflec- 
tion of  which  shot  straightway  down  hissing  hot,  into  the  water, 
and  killed  a  mighty  sturgeon  that  was  sporting  beside  the  vessel. 
This  huge  monster  being  with  infinite  labour  hoisted  on  board, 
furnished  a  luxurious  repast  to  all  on  board,  being  accounted  of 
excellent  flavor,  except  about  the  wound,  where  it  smacked  a 
little  of  brimstone — and  this,  on  my  veracity,  was  the  first  time 
that  sturgeon  was  ever  eaten  in  these  parts  by  Christian  people. 
When  this  astonishing  miracle  came  to  be  known  to  Peter  Stuy- 
vesant,  and  that  he  tasted  of  the  unknown  fish,  he,  as  may  well 
be  supposed,  marvelled  exceedingly ;  and  as  a  monument  thereof, 
he  gave  the  name  of  Anthony's  Nose  to  a  stout  promontory  in 
that  neighbourhood,  and  it  has  continued  to  be  called  Anthony's 
Nose  ever  since. 

As  an  offset  to  the  foregoing,  we  may  quote  from 
Dolph  Heyliger's  adventures  the  unequalled  descrip- 
tion of  Highland  scenery  and  a  gathering  storm: 

In  the  second  day  of  the  voyage  they  came  to  the  highlands. 
It  was  the  latter  part  of  a  calm,  sultry  day,  that  they  floated 
gently  with  the  tide  between  these  stern  mountains.  There 
was  that  perfect  quiet  which  prevails  over  nature  in  the  languor 
of  summer  heat;  the  turning  of  a  plank,  or  the  accidental  fall- 
ing of  an  oar  on  deck,  was  echoed  from  the  mountain-side  and 
reverberated  along  the  shores;  and  if  by  chance  the  captain 
gave  a  shout  of  command,  there  were  airy  tongues  which  mocked 
it  from  every  cliff. 


362 


The  Hudson  River 


Dolph  gazed  about  him  in  mute  delight  and  wonder  at  these 
scenes  of  nature's  magnificence.  To  the  left  the  Dunderl)erg 
reared  its  woody  ])rccipices,  heiglit  over  height,  forest  over 
forest,  away  into  the  deep  summer  sky.  To  the  riglit  strutted 
forth  the  bold  ])romontory  of  Antony's  Nose,  with  a  solitary 
eagle  wheeling  about  it,  while  beyond,  mountain  succeeded 
to  mountain,  until  they  seemed  to  lock  their  arms  together,  and 
confine  this  mighty  river  in  their  embraces.  There  was  a  feeling 
of  quiet  luxury  in  gazing  at  the  broad,  green  bosoms  here  and 
there  scooped  out  among  the  precipices;  or  at  woodlands  high 
in  air,  nodding  over  the  edge  of  some  beetling  bluff,  and  their 
foliage  all  transparent  in  the  yellow  sunshine. 

In  the  midst  of  his  admiration,  Dolph  remarked  a  pile  of 
bright,  snowy  clouds,  peering  above  the  western  heights.  It 
was  succeeded  by  another  and  another,  each  seemingly  pushing 
onwards  its  predecessor,  and  towering,  with  dazzling  brilliancy, 
in  the  deep-blue  atmosphere;  and  now  muttering  peals  of 
thunder  were  faintly  heard  rolling  behind  the  mountains.  The 
river,  hitherto  still  and  glassy,  reflecting  pictures  of  the  sky  and 
land,  now  showed  a  dark  ripple  at  a  distance,  as  the  breeze  came 
creeping  up  it.  The  fish-hawks  wheeled  and  screamed,  and 
sought  their  nests  on  the  high,  dry  trees;  the  crows  flew  clam- 
orously to  the  crevices  of  the  rocks,  and  all  nature  seemed  con- 
scious of  the  approaching  thunder-gust. 

The  clouds  now  rolled  in  volumes  over  the  mountain-tops; 
their  summits  still  bright  and  snowy,  but  the  lower  parts  of  an 
inky  blackness.  The  rain  began  to  patter  down  in  broad  and 
scattered  drops;  the  wind  freshened  and  curled  up  the  waves; 
at  length  it  seemed  as  if  the  bellying  clouds  were  torn  open  by 
the  mountain-tops,  and  complete  torrents  of  rain  came  rattling 
down.  The  lightning  leaped  from  cloud  to  cloud,  and  streamed 
quivering  against  the  rocks,  splitting  and  rending  the  stoutest 
forest  trees.  The  thunder  burst  in  tremendous  explosions;  the 
peals  w^ere  echoed  from  mountain  to  mountain;  they  crashed 
upon  Dunderberg,  and  rolled  up  the  long  defile  of  the  highlands, 
each  headland  making  a  new  echo,  until  old  Bull  Hill  seemed 
to  bellow  back  the  storm. 

For  a  time  the  scudding  rack  and  mist,  and  the  sheeted  rain, 


I 


i 


Among  the  Hills 


365 


almost  hid  the  landscape  from  the  sight.  There  was  a  fearful 
gloom,  illumined  still  more  fearfully  by  the  streams  of  lightning 
which  glittered  among  the  rain-drops.  Never  had  Dolph  beheld 
such  an  absolute  warring  of  the  elements;  it  seemed  as  if  the 
storm  was  tearing  and  rending  its  way  through  this  mountain 
defile,  and  had  brought  all  the  artillery  of  heaven  into  action. 

The  vessel  was  hurried  on  by  the  increasing  wind,  until  she 
came  to  where  the  river  makes  a  sudden  bend,  the  only  one  in 
the  whole  course  of  its  majestic  career.  Just  as  they  turned  the 
point,  a  violent  flaw  of  wind  came  sweeping  down  a  mountain 
gully,  bending  the  forest  before  it,  and,  in  a  moment,  lashing  up 
the  river  into  white  froth  and  foam.  The  captain  saw  the 
danger,  and  cried  out  to  lower  the  sail.  Before  the  order  could 
be  obeyed,  the  flaw  struck  the  sloop  and  threw  her  on  her  beam 
end.  This  must  have  been  the  bend  at  West  Point.  Every- 
thing now  was  fright  and  confusion:  the  flapping  of  the  sails, 
the  whistling  and  rushing  of  the  wind,  the  bawling  of  the  cap- 
tain and  crew,  the  shrieking  of  the  passengers,  all  mingled  with 
the  rolling  and  bellowing  of  the  thunder.  In  the  midst  of  the 
uproar  the  sloop  righted;  at  the  same  time  the  mainsail  shifted, 
the  boom  came  sweeping  the  quarter-deck,  and  Dolph,  who  was 
gazing  unguardedly  at  the  clouds,  found  himself,  in  a  moment, 
floundering  in  the  river. 

In  the  year  1697  the  northern  boundary  of  Van 
Cortlandt's  manor  was  defined  as  running 

unto  the  north  side  of  a  high  hill  called  Anthony's  Nose,  to  a 
cedar  tree  which  marks  the  southernmost  bound  of  the  land  now 
in  the  tenure  of  Mr.  Adolphe  Philipse;  and  from  the  red  cedar 
tree  another  due  easterly  line  running  into  the  woods  twenty 
English  miles. 

The  ''land  in  the  tenure  of  Mr.  Adolphe  Philipse," 
was  the  tract  known  as  the  Philipse  patent  in  the  High- 
lands. Its  northern  boundary  was  the  southern  line 
of  the  Beekman  patent,  "beginning  at  the  north  side 


366 


The  Hudson  River 


of  the  Highlands."  Adolphe  Philipse  was  the  son  of 
the  lord  of  the  lower  manor  of  Phili])sburg,  who  died 
in  1702.  From  Inm  the  ])ro])erty  descended  to  his 
nephew  Frederick,  who,  in  1751,  died,  leaving  the 
Highland  patent  to  his  children,  Philip,  Susannah, 
Mary,  and  Margaret.  Margaret  died,  her  share  going 
to  the  survivors.  The  first  thing  these  heirs  did  was 
to  take  legal  steps  to  bar  the  entail  im])osed  by  their 
father.  Susannah,  who  married  Beverly  Robinson, 
conveyed  her  share  to  William  Livingston,  who  recon- 
veyed  it  to  her  husband.  It  was  in  his  possession  up 
to  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  but  was  confiscated 
after  the  war.  The  mansion  in  which  Colonel  Robin- 
son and  his  wife  lived  was  known  as  the  Beverly  house. 
It  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  Sugar-Loaf  Mountain  until 
1892,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  this  house 
Arnold  had  his  headquarters.  There,  with  Hamilton 
and  Lafayette,  just  arrived  to  announce  to  the  Com- 
mander of  West  Point  that  Washington  was  about  to 
visit  him,  the  traitor  received  the  despatch  announcing 
Andre's  capture,  and  it  was  here  that  Washington  had 
the  affecting  interview  with  the  frantic  Mrs.  Arnold. 

Mary  Philipse,  who,  if  her  admirers  did  not  (and  her 
portraits  did)  belie  her,  was  a  singularly  beautiful 
woman,  was  the  youngest  of  Frederick  Philips 's  sur- 
viving heirs.  She  it  was  who  married  Roger  Morris, 
at  the  old  Philipse  house  at  Yonkers,  and  went  to  live 
in  the  brave  new  mansion  that  her  husband  built  for 
her  on  Richmond  Hill.    Time,  the  juggler,  sent  Morris 


Among  the  Hills 


369 


a  fugitive  to  the  Beverly  house  in  the  Highlands,  while 
Washington  made  his  headquarters  at  the  house  on 
Richmond  Hill,  and  finally  sent  Robinson  and  Morris, 
with  all  who  belonged  to  them,  overseas  in  exile. 

The  third  share  of  the  Patent,  which  went  to  Philip 
Philipse,  was  left  by  him  to  his  sons,  of  whom  only 
one,  Frederick,  survived.  His  daughter,  Mary,  mar- 
ried Samuel  Gouverneur.  By  them  the  major  part  of 
the  estate  was  sold,  only  the  portion  embracing  Bull 

Hill  remaining  in  possession  of  their  heirs. 
24 


Chapter  XXIII 


West  Point 

THE  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  is  so  much 
an  object  of  national  pride  to-day,  that  it  is 
a  little  hard  to  realise  the  difficulty  that  at- 
tended its  establishment,  or  the  discouraging  apathy 
with  which  those  who  saw  the  necessity  of  such  an 
institution  had  to  contend.  Washington,  among  other 
paternal  responsibilities,  must  father  the  Military 
Academy,  for  the  plan  was  his,  though  its  accomplish- 
ment was  not  immediately  realised. 

Indeed,  though  Washington,  in  his  annual  message 
in  1793,  strongly  advised  the  founding  of  an  academy, 
the  necessity  for  which  had  been  so  forcibly  demon- 
strated during  the  war,  when  his  trained  officers  were 
often  chosen  from  among  the  ranks  of  foreign  soldiers 
of  fortune,  yet  the  recommendation  had  little  or  no 
effect  for  several  years.  Congress  displayed  its  accus- 
tomed dilatory  spirit.  It  is  true  that  some  inadequate 
provision  for  the  instruction  of  a  corps  of  cadets  was 
made  during  the  following  year,  and  spasmodic  re- 
vivals of  the  plan  occurred  at  several  subsequent  dates 
during  the  years  1798,  1800,  and  1801.    The  Academy 

370 


West  Point 


371 


may  properly  be  said  to  have  begun  its  existence  in 
1802;  yet  from  that  date  till  181 1  it  lived  "at  a  poor, 
dying  rate,"  part  of  the  time  under  the  tacit  opposi- 
tion of  the  Secretary  of  War,  till  at  the  expiration  of 
that  period,  though  the  country  was  then  on  the  eve 
of  a  second  war  with  England,  there  were  actually  no 
cadets  at  West  Point. 

Not  till  hostilities  had  commenced  did  our  dilatory 
legislators  wake  to  the  necessity  of  prompt  and  de- 
cisive measures  for  placing  the  Military  Academy  on 
a  broad  and  strong  foundation.  The  number  of  cadets 
was  fixed,  by  an  act  passed  in  181 2,  at  two  hundred 
and  fifty,  while  the  corps  of  teachers  was  increased. 
Candidates  were  for  the  first  time  examined  for  admis- 
sion to  the  Academy.  Provision  was  also  made  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  establishment  and  the  proper 
instruction  of  the  cadets  in  all  branches  of  military 
science.  To  Major  Thayer,  appointed  Superintendent 
in  1 8 1 7 ,  the  Academy  owes  more  than  to  any  one  man 
for  the  ground  plan  of  its  system  of  work  and  the  first 
great  impulse  towards  its  present  efficiency.  He  was 
Superintendent  for  sixteen  years,  during  which  time 
570  cadets  were  graduated, — men  who  were  soon  to 
test  the  value  of  their  instruction  and  training  under 
the  skies  of  Mexico,  where,  in  two  campaigns,  accord- 
ing to  General  Scott's  tribute,  "we  conquered  a  great 
country  and  peace  without  the  loss  of  a  single  battle 
or  skirmish." 

In  no  war  that  has  occurred  within  the  knowledge 


The  Iliulson  Ri\cr 


of  man  has  such  a  display  of  mihtarv  skill  been  ex- 
hibited by  the  leaders  on  both  sides,  through  a  series  of 
o])erations  of  such  magnitude  and  extending  over  so 
long  a  period  of  time,  as  made  the  American  Civil  War 
for  ever  memorable.  We  cannot  forget  that  the  list  of 
those  who  won  distinction  in  that  deplorable  but  un- 
avoidable strife,  in  the  Confederate  as  well  as  the  Fed- 
eral armies,  was  mainly  from  the  roster  of  West  Point 
graduates.  McClellan  and  Jackson,  Burnside  and 
Beauregard,  Hooker  and  Pemberton,  Sherman  and 
Johnston,  Grant  and  Lee, — the  list  rolls  on.  In  blue 
and  grey,  for  conscience  sake,  they  fought  a  good  fight, 
and  fought  it  better  because  the  old  Academy  with  its 
training  was  behind  them. 

The  military  post  at  West  Point  formerly  was  dis- 
tinct from  the  Academy,  and,  until  1842,  was  some- 
times under  separate  command;  but  at  that  time 
Congress  very  wisely  put  an  end  to  contentions  arising 
from  a  conflict  of  rank  and  authority  between  the  Com- 
mander of  the  post  and  the  Superintendent  of  the 
Academy,  by  providing  that  the  latter  should  also 
command  the  post. 

While  the  requirements  for  examination,  both  for 
admission  and  graduation,  have  increased,  and  the 
training  has  become  more  thorough  and  proportion- 
ately  severe  with  each  decade  of  the  history  of  "the 
Point,"  the  superstructure  has  been  reared,  as  we  have 
already  suggested,  on  the  foundation  laid  by  Major 
Thayer.    From  the  first,  the  tendency  of  the  Academy 


I 


West  Point 


375 


has  been  towards  a  spirit  of  democracy.  Mere  birth 
counts  for  less  here  than  perhaps  in  any  other  uni- 
versity in  the  world,  except  our  Xaval  Academy.  It 
is  an  article  of  faith  among  army  men  that  West  Point 
graduates  gentlemen,  and  yet  it  is  conceded  that  not 
fifty  per  cent,  of  the  cadets  are  born  of  distinguished  or 
wealthy  parents.  The  majority  of  the  fathers  of  West 
Pointers  are  wage-earners;  but  their  sons,  almost 
without  exception,  go  out  after  five  years  of  training 
the  finest  types  of  physical  manhood  that  the  race  has 
produced,  with  cultivated  minds  and  polished  manners, 
and  a  splendid  sense  of  honour.  Take  a  man  who  can 
ride,  dance,  fight,  speak  the  truth  in  his  own  and  sev- 
eral other  languages,  and  pass  a  stiff  college  examina- 
tion, and  you  have  the  kind  of  man  that  West  Point 
is  turning  out  by  the  scores  every  year. 

While  the  standards  of  physical,  mental,  and  moral 
excellence  have  been  rigorously  upheld  at  the  Acad- 
emy, and  the  instruction  and  drill  have  advanced  with 
the  progress  of  the  world  in  science,  many  of  the 
buildings  erected  at  an  earlier  day,  and  still  in  use,  have 
become  antiquated  and  insufficient.  There  are  more 
than  a  hundred  and  sixty  buildings  of  all  sorts.  Among 
the  older  ones  are  the  north  wing  of  the  quadrangle, 
built  previous  to  1851,  and  containing  most  of  the 
cadet  quarters;  the  cadet  mess-hall,  erected  in  1850, 
of  native  granite;  and  the  quaint  riding-hall,  with  its 
arched  roof,  that  dates  from  1855;  while  the  Adminis- 
tration and  Academic  buildings  are  more  modern. 


376 


The  Hudson  River 


The  former  is  iisuaUx^  known  as  head([uarters,  contain- 
ing^ the  offices  of  Superintendent,  Adjutant,  Quarter- 
master, etc.  Opposite  is  the  Academic  building, 
erected  in  1891-95.  It  is,  hke  the  other,  of  granite, 
and  cost  in  round  figures  $500,000.  It  forms  the 
south  side  of  the  quadrangle,  of  which  the  cadet  quar- 
ters constitute  the  north  and  west  sides. 

The  Chapel  lies  to  the  north  of  the  Administration 
and  Academic  buildings.  It  was  built  in  1836,  and  is 
decorated  within  with  flags,  cannon,  and  other  tro- 
phies. Tablets  honouring  the  memory  of  Washington's 
generals  are  placed  upon  the  walls,  one  alone  being 
remarkable  from  the  fact  that  the  name  is  erased,  leav- 
ing only  the  dates  of  birth  and  death.  It  is  that  for- 
merly inscribed  with  the  name  of  Benedict  Arnold, 
who  tried  to  betray  West  Point  to  the  British  enemy. 
Above  the  altar  is  a  picture  representing  War  and 
Peace,  painted  by  Professor  Wier,  who  at  one  time 
was  instructor  in  drawing  at  the  Academy. 

The  Library,  a  comparatively  new  and  well-equipped 
building,  is  the  repository  for  some  forty-five  thousand 
volumes.  Of  this  collection,  Mr.  H.  Irving  Hancock, 
in  his  recent  book  on  West  Point,  says:  "  The  average 
annual  appropriation  of  Congress  is  $3000 — an  amount 
decidedly  inadequate  to  the  maintenance  of  the  library 
of  the  foremost  military  academy  in  the  world." 

Our  space  is  insufficient  for  the  mention  of  all  the 
structures  devoted  to  the  use  of  the  national  school, 
or  even  for  a  description  of  the  notable  statues  and 


West  Point 


377 


monuments  that  adorn  the  grounds.  But  not  to  be 
passed  over  without  notice  is  the  classic  structure  of 
purest  Greek  design,  in  pink  granite,  that  stands  on 
the  edge  of  the  plain  overlooking  the  river.  It  is  the 
Memorial  Hall,  provided  for  in  the  will  of  General 
Cullum,  and  cost  above  $250,000.  It  is  a  museum  of 
war  trophies  and  memorials,  besides  containing  the 
large  and  beautiful  Assembly  Hall  and  the  Thayer 
Hall,  fitted  with  a  stage  and  all  the  accessories  of  a  well- 
appointed  theatre. 

The  conditions  of  good  work  have  grown  more  ex- 
acting with  every  year,  till  the  Academy  has  been 
cramped  for  the  lack  of  modern  facilities  and  equip- 
ment. The  barracks  have  been  overcrowded  and  in- 
sufficiently furnished  with  such  conveniences  as  light, 
water,  and  heat.  The  cavalry  and  artillery  drill-room 
and  grounds  have  proved  inadequate  to  the  needs  of 
the  school ;  the  lecture-rooms  and  laboratories  are  too 
small,  and  are  constantly  overcrowded,  and  all  of  the 
scientific  departments  are  cramped. 

To  meet  the  demands  that  have  so  obviously  grown 
out  of  the  real  needs  of  the  institution.  Congress,  dur- 
ing May,  1902,  voted  in  confirmation  of  a  bill  calling 
for  the  appropriation  of  five  million  dollars  to  be 
expended  principally  in  new  buildings  and  topograph- 
ical improvements  at  West  Point.  The  additions  when 
completed  will  include  an  extension  of  the  barracks,  a 
new  academic  building,  a  power-house,  officers'  mess 
hall,  chapel,  cavalry  and  artillery  barracks  and  stables, 


378 


The  Hudson  River 


additions  to  several  of  the  buildings  now  in  use,  and 
an  enlargement  of  the  plain  for  purposes  of  eavalry 
and  artillery  drill.  But  it  has  been  wisely  considered 
inadvisable  to  destroy  the  old  buildings  now  in  use  or 
make  any  radical  changes  in  their  structure  or  arrange- 
ment. They  are  the  witnesses  of  a  hundred  years, 
connected  with  the  names  of  the  nation  s  heroes,  and 
rich  with  the  traditions  of  successive  generations  of 
brave  men.  In  spite  of  the  fact,  or  it  may  be  because 
of  the  fact,  that  we  are  not  a  soldier  people,  the  senti- 
ment of  the  nation  centres  at  West  Point  more  really 
than  even  at  the  White  House  or  the  Capitol.  Per- 
haps no  nation  on  earth  has  ever  seen  a  case  parallel 
to  that  of  the  United  States,  that  has  gone  through 
most  of  its  history  without  a  standing  army  w^orthy 
of  mention,  yet  has  persistently  trained  men  (as  few 
men  have  ever  been  trained  elsewdiere)  in  all  the  sci- 
ence of  war  and  the  practice  of  manly  exercises,  to  find 
them  in  the  hour  of  national  stress  the  nucleus  of  an 
army  of  unexcelled  strength.  Within  the  confines  of 
the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  the  United  States 
has  concentrated  its  standing  army.  Because  the 
knowledge  of  this  fact  appeals  to  our  imagination,  and 
also  for  another  reason,  that  the  Academy  is  the  con- 
crete symbol  of  that  altar  of  patriotism  upon  which  so 
great  a  treasure  of  blood  has  been  offered,  it  has  be- 
come to  us  a  place  of  sacred  associations. 

We  have  seen  how  both  of  the  contending  parties  in 
the  Revolution  recognised  the  military  importance  of 


West  Point 


379 


the  Highlands.  The  contest  for  the  possession  of 
Forts  CUnton  and  Montgomery  was  illustrative  of  the 
desire  of  the  British  to  wrest  the  control  of  this  natural 
gateway  of  the  river  from  the  Americans,  and  the 
resolution  of  Washington  and  his  generals  to  main- 
tain, as  long  as  possible,  a  supremacy  upon  which  so 
much  depended.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the 
loss  of  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson  would  probably 
have  meant  the  downfall  of  the  Continental  cause. 
Never  but  once  during  that  long  struggle  for  freedom 
did  the  patriot  army  temporarily  lose  this  point  of 
vantage:  that  was  when,  after  the  reduction  of  the 
forts  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  in  October,  1777,  the 
chevaux-de-jrisc  and  other  obstructions  were  cleared 
away,  the  Americans  hastily  evacuated  Forts  Inde- 
pendence and  Constitution,  and  the  British  fleet  sailed 
up  the  river  as  far  as  Kingston.  It  was  a  destructive 
progress,  but  without  lasting  results,  as  the  surrender 
of  Burgoyne,  on  the  17th  of  that  month,  rendered 
abortive  the  plan  to  co-operate  with  him  from  the 
south. 

At  the  time  of  this  reverse  to  the  American  arms, 
Fort  Putnam  was  not  yet  completed,  and  West  Point, 
as  we  know  it,  cannot  be  said  to  have  existed.  The 
four  defences  already  mentioned  were  all  that  had 
then  been  erected.  Fort  Constitution  was  on  the 
island  opposite  West  Point,  from  which  place  one  of 
Putnam's  numerous  chains  was  stretched.  Its  insu- 
lar character  can  hardly  be  recognised  to-day,  as  the 


3So 


The  1 1  nelson  Ri\  cr 


marshes  between  it  and  the  eastern  shore  of  the  river 
ha\'e  i^n-a(hiall\-  lilled  n])  and  now  appear  as  meadow- 
land.  The  old  house,  alxnit  which  the  home  of  the 
Warner  sisters  was  built  in  the  course  of  years,  was  of 
colonial  date  and  was  used  at  one  time  as  headquarters 
by  the  commander  of  the  American  forces  in  the 
Highlands. 


WEST  POINT  IN  1780 
{Frojn  an  old  print) 


When  Arnold  was  in  command  of  West  Point,  he 
made  his  home  in  the  old  "BcA^erly"  house,  to  which 
we  have  had  occasion  to  refer.  Beverly  Robinson  was 
serving  in  the  British  army,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel ; 
and  the  State  of  New  York  had  confiscated  his  prop- 
erty. The  overtures  made  to  Arnold,  the  negotia- 
tions that  led  to  the  ruin  of  Major  Andre,  the  sad  story 
of  the  downfall  of  a  man  who  had  proved  himself  a 
brave  soldier  and  a  competent  General,  are  surely  the 
most  familiar  details  of  the  War  for  Independence.  Yet, 


West  Point 


381 


in  spite  of  repetition,  the  dramatic  incidents  of  that 
September  morning  that  saw  the  confusion  of  the  trait- 
or's  plans  can  never  stale.  What  impulse  of  chance  or 
Providence  led  Washington,  with  Knox  and  Lafayette, 
to  change  his  plan  of  breakfasting  with  Arnold,  baffles 
conjecture.  We  only  know  that  the  General  and  his 
aides  turned  aside  to  inspect  some  fortifications  and 
sent  a  note  to  apprise  Arnold  of  the  fact,  and  that  in 
that  very  hour  Colonel  Jameson's  fatuous  letter,  in- 
forming him  of  Andre  s  capture,  was  delivered  to  him 
as  he  sat  at  the  breakfast  table  with  his  wife. 

The  mine  had  exploded  beneath  Arnold's  feet;  yet  in  this 
awful  moment  he  gave  an  evidence  of  that  quickness  of  mind 
which  had  won  laurels  for  him  when  in  the  path  of  duty.  Con- 
trolling the  dismay  which  must  have  smitten  him  to  the  heart, 
he  beckoned  Mrs.  Arnold  from  the  breakfast  table,  signifying  a 
wish  to  speak  with  her  in  private.  When  alone  with  her  in  her 
room  up-stairs,  he  announced  in  hurried  words  that  he  was  a 
ruined  man  and  must  instantly  fly  for  his  life!  Overcome  by 
the  shock,  she  fell  senseless  to  the  floor.  Without  pausing  to 
aid  her,  he  hurried  down-stairs,  sent  the  messenger  to  her  assist- 
ance, probably  to  keep  him  from  an  interview  with  the  other 
officers ;  returned  to  the  breakfast-room  and  informed  his  guests 
that  he  must  haste  to  West  Point  to  prepare  for  the  reception 
of  the  commander-in-chief;  and,  mounting  the  horse  of  the 
messenger,  which  stood  saddled  at  the  door,  galloped  down  by 
what  is  still  called  Arnold's  Path,  to  the  landing-place,  where 
his  six-oared  barge  was  moored.  Throwing  himself  into  it,  he 
ordered  his  men  to  pull  out  into  the  middle  of  the  river,  and 
then  made  down  with  all  speed. 

Another  hour  revealed  the  treachery,  but  the  traitor 
was  out  of  reach. 


382 


The  Hudson  River 


The  landing  where  Arnold  ke])t  his  barge  in  readi- 
ness for  such  an  emergency  as  he  was  finally  compelled 
to  face  was  where  a  jutting  promontory  makes  out 
into  the  river  above  Anthony  s  Nose. 

The  Catholic  Institute,  formerly  a  hotel,  that  forms 
a  conspicuous  landmark  south  of  the  Point,  has  been 
the  resting-place  for  many  a  distinguished  visitor  in 
years  gone  by.  About  1850,  Willis  wrote  to  his 
friend  and  partner,  Morris,  as  follows: 

Within  a  stone's  throw  from  the  portico  of  the  hotel,  upon  a 
knoll  half  hidden  with  trees,  stands  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
structures,  of  its  kind,  in  this  country — a  stone  church,  of  Eng- 
lish rural  architecture,  built  by  the  painter,  Robert  Weir.  The 
story  of  its  construction  is  a  touching  poem.  When  Mr.  Weir 
received  ten  thousand  dollars  from  the  government  for  his  pict- 
ure on  the  panel  of  the  Capitol,  he  invested  it,  untouched,  for 
the  benefit  of  his  three  children.  On  the  death  of  these  children 
— all  three — soon  after,  the  money  reverted  to  him,  but  he  had 
a  feeling  which  forbade  him  to  use  it.  Struck  with  the  favour- 
ableness of  this  knoll  under  the  mountains  as  a  site  for  a  place 
of  worship,  much  needed  by  the  village  nearby,  he  applied  for  it 
to  yir.  Cozzens,  on  whose  property  it  stood,  and  who  at  once 
made  a  free  gift  of  it  for  the  purpose.  The  painter's  taste  and 
heart  were  set  to  work,  and  with  the  money  left  him  by  his  child- 
ren and  contributions  from  General  Scott  and  others,  he  erected 
this  simple  and  beautiful  structure,  as  a  memorial  of  hallowed 
utility.  Its  bell  for  evening  service  sounded  a  few  minutes  ago 
— the  tone  selected,  apparently,  with  the  taste  which  governed 
all,  and  making  sweet  music  among  the  mountains  that  look 
down  upon  it. 

Willis  is  so  quotable  that  another  excerpt  from  an- 
other letter  to  his  "Dear  Morris"  may  be  forgiven. 


West  Point 


383 


This  time  he  is  writing  of  "  the  grey- tailed  bird  of  war  " 
of  his  section  of  the  nineteenth  century: 

Speaking  of  grey  coats,  I  understand,  at  the  Point,  that  this 
classic  uniform  of  the  miHtary  Academy  is  to  be  changed  to  a 
blue  frock.  It  will  be  a  sensible  and  embellishing  alteration, 
and  the  cadets  will  look  more  like  reasoning  adults  and  less  like 
plover  in  pantaloons — but  what  is  to  become  of  all  the  tender 
memories,  "thick  as  leaves  in  Vallambrosa,"  which  are  con- 
nected with  that  uniform  only?  What  belle  of  other  days  ever 
comes  back  to  the  Point  without  looking  out  upon  the  Parade 
from  the  windows  of  the  hotel  and  indulging  in  a  dreamy  recall 
of  the  losing  of  her  heart,  pro  tcju.,  on  her  first  summer  tour,  to 
one  of  those  grey-tailed  birds  of  war  ?  A  flirtation  with  a  grey- 
coat at  the  Point  is  in  every  pretty  woman's  history,  from 
Maine  to  Florida.  Suppress  those  tapering  swallow-tails! 
Why,  it  would  be  a  moulting  of  the  feathers  of  first  loves,  which 
will  make  a  cold  shiver  throughout  the  Union.  I  doubt  whether 
the  blue  frock,  with  its  similarity  to  the  coats  of  common  mor- 
tals, will  ever  acquire  the  same  mystic  irresistibleness  which 
has  belonged  to  that  uniform  of  grey.  The  blue  may  be  ad- 
mired, but  the  pepper-and-salt  of  other  days  will  be  perpetuated 
in  poems. 

Upon  the  rising  ground  near  Fort  CHnton,  a  memor- 
able fete,  attended  by  the  civil  and  military  officers  of 
high  rank  in  the  United  States,  occurred  in  1785.  The 
occasion  was  the  birth  of  the  Dauphin  of  France,  and 
Washington  presided  over  an  assemblage  that  was 
bright  with  the  beauty  of  what  Griswold  called  "the 
Republican  court."  With  whatever  of  splendour  the 
resources  or  the  taste  of  the  time  could  accomplish, 
the  celebration  took  place,  for  the  gratitude  of  the 
lately  liberated  country  towards  France  was  still  keen 
and  the  desire  to  do  honour  to  the  heir  to  her  throne, 


384 


The  Hudson  River 


though  somewhat  at  variance  with  the  sentiment  of 
a  democratic  declaration,  was  yet  strong  and  spontan- 
eous. Who,  at  that  time  of  rejoicing  and  congratula- 
tions, could  anticipate  the  horror  and  mystery  that 
would  afterwards  surround  the  fate  of  this  ro}^al 
infant  ?  History  has  related  the  imprisonment  of  the 
Dauphin,  after  the  downfall  of  his  ill-fated  house,  has 
told  of  the  cruelty  of  the  brutish  Simon,  and  has  re- 
corded the  prince's  death  from  a  scrofulous  affection 
induced  by  the  filth  and  malnutrition  which  made  his 
lot  more  to  be  pitied  than  that  of  the  meanest  peasant 
in  the  land.  History,  however,  asserts  this  denoue- 
ment with  less  assurance  since  the  publication,  half  a 
century  ago,  of  the  story  of  the  Rev.  Eleazer  Williams. 
In  1850,  a  strong  claim  was  advanced  that  Mr.  Williams, 
of  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  an  adopted  member  of  an 
Indian  tribe  and  afterwards  a  missionary  among  that 
people,  was  none  other  than  Louis  XVII.,  long  thought 
to  be  dead.  There  was  a  curious  succession  of  evid- 
ences, sufficient  to  convince  many  astute  men,  in 
support  of  this  claim,  which  Mr.  Williams  himself  be- 
lieved, though  he  made  no  attempt  to  take  advantage 
of  his  supposed  birthright.  Our  limited  space  will  not 
permit  the  discussion  of  this  interesting  subject,  which 
the  reader  will  find  amply  set  forth  in  periodicals  of 
the  years  1850-52. 

Fort  Putnam  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  and,  in 
some  respects,  the  most  attractive  of  the  military  re- 
mains of  the  Revolutionary  period  at  the  Point.  It 


West  Point 


385 


was  built  upon  a  spur  six  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  river,  and  so  situated  that  it  commands  an 
extensive  view  of  the  water  and  of  the  Highlands  on 
both  sides.  It  is  somewhat  back  of  the  Point,  and, 
though  long  since  disused  by  troops,  its  parapets  and 
several  of  its  ancient  casemates  are  still  preserved. 

"The  spot  where  Kosciusko  dreamed"  is  still  a 
place  where  the  young  man  may  see  visions  not  less 
exalted  than  those  of  the  liberty-loving  Pole.  Among 
the  mementos  of  many  battle-fields,  the  trophies  of 
many  victories,  and  reminders  of  the  fame  of  captains 
whose  lives  were  gloriously  spent  for  the  salvation  of 
the  State,  the  feet  of  those  who  in  their  turn  shall  lead 
now  tread  the  daily  round  of  discipline. 

Before  West  Point  the  river  is  a  lake,  across  which 
a  miniature  ferry-boat  plies  from  Garrison's,  upon  the 
eastern  shore.  From  that  inconsiderable  elevation  no 
inlet  or  outlet  to  the  placid  and  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  is  visible.  It  was  here,  in  a  time  long  past,  that 
Fanny  Kemble  loved  to  row  her  boat,  mooring  it  in 
some  attractive  little  cove  along  shore  when  the  heat 
became  burdensome.  A  brook  that  flows  into  the  bay 
north  of  Garrison's  was  a  favourite  haunt  of  hers,  and 
the  cascade  that  for  years  had  been  known  as  Indian 
Falls  was  afterwards  rechristened  Fanny  Kemble  s 
Bath.  Only  a  short  distance  from  this  stream  and 
almost  directly  east  of  Constitution  Island  is  the 
house  owned  by  Clara  Louise  Kellogg.  Beyond  Cold- 
spring,  with  its  smoking  foundry  and  wharf,  at  the 
25 


386 


The  Hudson  River 


very  foot  of  Bull  Hill  is  Morris's  Undercliff.  Opposite, 
old  Cro'nest  lifts  its  rugged  brow  fourteen  hundred  feet 
in  air.  Above  them  still  are  Storm  King,  u])on  the 
west,  and  Breakneck  on  the  east  shore,  making  the 
upper  gate  of  the  Highlands.  In  that  curious  jour- 
nal of  a  voyage  up  the  Hudson  in  1769  which  we  have 
the  good  fortune  to  publish  in  this  volume,  the  reader 
will  notice  that  the  name  "  Broken  Neck  Hill"  appears, 
and  a  glance  at  the  camel-like  profile  of  the  mountain 
in  question  will  go  far  toward  convincing  one  that  the 
later  name,  ''Breakneck,"  is  a  corruption  of  a  title 
that  was  really  descriptive.  The  name  Breakneck 
might  be  applied  with  equal  propriety  to  any  of  the 
steep-sided  promontories  along  the  rock-wall  of  the 
Highlands. 

Uninteresting  in  many  respects  as  Coldspring  is  to 
those  not  immediately  concerned  in  foundry  work,  it 
has  contributed  its  share  to  national  military  strength, 
having  been  for  years  engaged  in  the  production  of 
ordnance  for  the  United  States  army  and  navy. 


Chapter  XXIV 


The  Fisher  s  Reach 

IT  is  as  difficult  now  to  get  beyond  the  Highlands  as 
it  was  in  1777.  Instead  of  the  ckevaux-de-jrise, 
chains,  and  fortresses  with  which  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton had  to  contend,  we  are  stayed  by  the  no  less  im- 
perative challenge  of  natural  beauty,  at  once  majestic 
and  unique;  while  the  imagination  carries  by  assault 
the  heights  that  are  buttressed  with  historic  associa- 
tions and  garrisoned  with  legions  of  romantic  fancies. 

We  hear  in  the  thunder  that  reverberates  from  crag 
to  crag  the  echo  of  long  silent  artillery;  we  see  in  the 
mists  of  morning  the  smoke  of  British  guns,  and  under 
the  downright  rays  of  noon  seem  to  distinguish  the 
entrenchments  of  patriotic  levies.  But  when  night 
falls  the  mysterious  significance  of  nature  asserts  a 
sway  that  is  stronger  than  embattled  arms  and  older 
than  history.  Then  the  passions  and  the  conquests  of 
man  are  forgotten  and  the  abiding  mystery  of  imme- 
morial hills  possesses  the  soul.  The  pen  of  Irving  has 
fixed  on  an  inimitable  page  the  subtle  charm  of  a 
night  in  the  Highlands: 

389 


390 


The  Hudson  River 


Tlic  moon  had  just  raised  licr  silver  liorns  above  tlic  round 
back  of  old  Bull  Hill,  and  lit  up  the  grey  rocks  and  shagged 
forests,  and  glittered  on  the  waving  bosom  of  the  river.  The 
night-dew  was  falling,  and  the  late  gloomy  mountains  began  to 
soften  and  put  on  a  grey,  aerial  tint  in  the  dewy  light.  The 
hunters  stirred  the  fire,  and  threw  on  fresh  fuel  to  qualify  the 
damp  of  the  night -air.  Thev  ti-<en  prepared  a  bed  of  branches 
and  dry  leaves  under  a  ledge  of  rocks  for  Dolph ;  while  Antony 
Vander  Heyden,  wrapping  himself  in  a  huge  coat  of  skins, 
stretched  himself  before  the  fire.  It  was  some  time,  however, 
before  Dolph  could  close  his  eyes.  He  lay  contemplating  the 
strange  scene  before  him:  the  wild  woods  and  rocks  around; 
the  fire  throwing  fitful  gleams  on  the  faces  of  the  sleeping  sav- 
ages; and  the  Heer  Antony,  too,  who  so  singularly,  yet  vaguely, 
reminded  him  of  the  nightly  visitant  to  the  haunted  house. 
Now  and  then  he  heard  the  cry  of  some  animal  from  the  forest ; 
or  the  hooting  of  the  owl;  or  the  notes  of  the  whippoorwill, 
which  seemed  to  abound  among  these  solitudes ;  or  the  splash  of 
a  sturgeon  leaping  out  of  the  river  and  falling  back  full-length 
on  its  placid  surface. 

It  is  said  to  have  been  an  old  custom  among  the 
river  skippers  to  christen  new  hands  by  sousing  them 
in  the  current  when  near  Pollopel's  Island,  and  this 
was  done  ostensibly  because  it  was  supposed  to  make 
the  victim  immune  against  the  goblins  that  were  well 
known  to  haunt  every  available  spot  on  the  river 
shore,  but  especially  the  tree-shaded,  bush-grown  rock 
that  guards  the  northern  Highland  gate.  It  may  be 
imagined  that  besides  aflording  protection  to  the 
apprentice,  the  ducking  also  gratified  the  love  for  horse- 
play that  has  always  distinguished  sailors  of  every 
degree,  and  for  that  reason  did  not  fall  into  disuse  till 
the  popular  belief  in  goblins  was  well-nigh  obsolete. 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


393 


Pollopel's  has  long  been  considered  as  a  haunted 
spot,  especially  infested  by  the  evil  spirits  that  in  time 
of  storm  fly  with  the  storm  through  the  Highlands. 
In  this  particular  it  resembles  the  Duyvel's  Dans 
Kamer.  Cruger's  Island,  on  the  contrary,  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  never  having  been  visited  by  death,  even 
down  to  the  present  day. 

Above  the  Highlands,  on  the  western  shore  of  the 
river,  the  northern  slope  of  Storm  King  declines  into 
a  bluff  that  is  broken  by  numerous  ravines,  each  at 
some  time  the  bed  of  a  watercourse.  It  is  here  that 
the  village  of  Cornwall,  with  its  many  literary  asso- 
ciations, pursues  the  quiet  and  orderly  tenor  of  life. 
It  was  a  secluded  and  almost  unknown  hamlet  till  it 
secured  for  the  trumpeter  of  its  delights  a  poet  and  a 
nature  lover. 

At  I  die  wild,  now  part  of  Cornwall,  the  poet  settled 
down  to  a  life  of  busy  idleness.  He  had  been  driven 
back  to  Eden,  to  borrow  Mr.  Roe  s  phrase,  and  he  pro- 
posed to  make  the  most  of  it.  He  superintended  the 
laying-out  of  paths,  the  building  of  roads  and  dams; 
he  cultivated  the  acquaintance  of  trees  and  wild 
flowers,  protected  the  birds,  and  evinced  a  kindly  fel- 
lowship for  the  frogs.  To  many  of  those  who  have 
read  Willis's  work,  no  part  of  it  seems  more  satisfac- 
tory than  the  chatty,  personal  chronicle  of  nature 
happenings,  the  unforced  record  of  his  surroundings, 
as  they  appeared  in  the  old  Home  Journal.  It  is 
difficult  to  estimate  our  indebtedness  to  him  for  his 


394 


The  Hudson  River 


cxam])lc  of  a])])reciation  in  a  field  where  most  of 
his  countrymen  were  stoHdly  tma])])reciative. 

Bryant  went  into  the  woods  with  uncovered  head 
and  found  them  cathedrals.  His  trees  were  all  gothic 
columns,  that  ranged  themselves  in  dim,  churchly 
aisles.  Autumn  was  a  holy  festival,  and  a  pool  in  the 
woods  was  a  sort  of  stoup  of  holy  water.  Drake  went 
into  the  woods  to  find  a  background  for  a  fairy  tale. 
But  Willis  bought  a  glen  with  a  brook  in  it,  built  his 
dams  and  bridges,  delighted  to  note  that  his  chestnut 
fence-posts  sprouted,  scraped  acquaintance  with  feath- 
ered or  furry  neighbours,  and  loved  his  hemlock  trees 
as  though  they  had  been  human  friends.  To  a  genera- 
tion whose  eyes  had  not  been  educated  to  see,  and  who 
generally  understood  that  the  country  was  designed  by 
Providence  as  the  place  in  which  to  raise  corn  and 
potatoes,  his  letters  were  a  revelation.  They  were  the 
better  for  being  reportorial  rather  than  philosophical. 

If,  from  some  dusty  shelf  corner,  you  take  down  a 
copy  of  Out-Doors  at  Idlewtld,  blow  the  dust  of  years 
from  it,  and  settle  yourself  to  read,  you  may  presently 
say,  "  Burroughs  would  have  done  this  better,  or  Brad- 
ford Torrey  that."  Very  possibly.  Please  to  recol- 
lect that  Willis  did  it  first. 

To-day  every  man — lawyer,  physician,  clerg3^man, 
hack,  storekeeper,  or  clerk — finds  his  way  at  least  once 
a  year  into  the  country,  where  he  follows  his  patron 
prophet,  who  has  pointed  out  what  he  should  enjoy 
and  appreciate.    The  beauties  of  nature  are  now  as 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


395 


completely  labelled  as  the  trees  in  Central  Park,  but 
half  a  century  ago  the  man  who  could  write  those  old 
letters  to  the  Home  Journal  was  a  discoverer.  Those 
who  attempted  at  first  to  follow  him  went  in  patent- 
leather  boots;  they  scrambled  in  broadcloth  over  the 
rocks,  and  knocked  silk  hats  against  the  branches;  but 
it  was  a  beginning. 

The  enchanted  glen  that  has  been  famous  for  half  a 
century,  under  the  name  of  I  die  wild,  has  escaped  with 
marvellous  strange  fortune  the  destroying  influences 
that  have  assailed  so  many  Meccas.  The  house  which 
the  poet  owned  is  to-day  unaltered  in  any  essential 
feature.  The  present  holder  of  its  title-deeds  deserves 
the  gratitude  of  those  who  have  frequent  occasion  to 
deplore  the  demolition  of  local  shrines.    He  has  mine. 

My  cottage  at  Idlewild  [wrote  Willis]  is  a  pretty  type  of  the 
two  lives  they  live  who  are  wise — the  life  in  full  view,  which  the 
world  thinks  all,  and  the  life  out  of  sight,  of  which  the  world 
knows  nothing.  You  see  its  front  porch  from  the  thronged 
thoroughfares  of  the  Hudson,  but  the  grove  behind  it  overhangs 
a  deep  down  glen,  tracked  but  by  my  own  tangled  paths,  and 
the  wild  torrent  which  by  turns  they  avoid  and  follow. 

That  description,  which  might  have  been  written  yes- 
terday, has  been  applicable  for  nearly  fifty  years. 
Other  hands  trim  the  lawns  and  repair  the  drives; 
other  eyes  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the  successive  years  of 
growth  and  development,  but  the  place  is  still  "Wil- 
lis's Idlewild,"  as  though  its  earlier  tenant 

— held  in  mortmain  still  his  old  estate. 


30 


The  Hudson  River 


The  drives  are  jirobably  better  kept  and  the  lawns 
better  groomed  than  they  were  in  the  early  fifties,  and 
the  shade  trees  are  taller  and  more  dense ;  but  one  step 
aside  over  the  edge  of  the  wooded  declivity  instantly 
translates  the  pilgrim  into  a  "land  of  faery,"  where 
the  hand  of  man  has  not  interfered  except  with  the 
consummate  art  that  conceals  art. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  descent  the  sound 
of  the  stream  far  below  comes  up  through  the  rustling 
foliage.  The  tops  of  the  trees  that  grow  along  the 
bottom  of  the  glen  are  below  the  level  of  the  eye,  and 
the  crowding  companies  of  birch  and  hemlock,  chest- 
nut and  maple,  swarm  the  hillside. 

The  glen  of  Idlewild  [Willis  said]  is  but  a  morning's  ramble 
in  extent — a  kind  of  Trenton  Falls  for  one — but  its  stream,  fall- 
ing over  a  hundred  feet  within  one's  own  gate,  and  sometimes  a 
cataract  that  would  bring  down  a  lumber  sloop  or  raft;  it  has 
varieties  of  charm  that  will  at  least  occupy  what  loving  I  have 
time  for. 

Step  by  step  in  a  zigzag  course  the  visitor  gets 
toward  that  stream  that  is  "sometimes  a  cataract," 
and,  with  every  moment  the  remoteness  from  human 
life  increases.  If  it  was  ever  true  that  "  Idlewild  is 
getting  fast  peopled  with  the  viewless  crowd  that  will 
make  haunted  ground  of  it,"  the  gentle  ghosts  must 
have  departed  with  him  for  w^hom  they  first  appeared. 
I  could  imagine  Willis  there — Willis  and  the  Irishman 
w^ho  wielded  axe  and  spade  at  his  command;  but  the 
people  he  had  conjured  into  the  glen  are  all  gone — 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


397 


astral  bodies  and  all.  However,  expectation  looked 
for  the  obese  old  toad  that  used  to  sit  in  the  middle  of 
the  path  and  moved  reluctantly  at  a  stranger's  ap- 
proach, and  peered  over  to  see  whether  the  great 
freshet  of  1853  had  left  any  discernible  marks  on  the 
tree  trunks,  and  hoped  with  every  tread  to  hear  the 
whirr  of  frightened  quail. 

No  one — not  Willis  or  any  other — could  do  justice 
to  the  beauty  of  the  stream  that  is  the  chief  charm  of 
the  glen.  To  appreciate  its  hurryings  and  baitings,  its 
cascades  and  pools,  its  encompassing  boulders  and 
bridging  tree  trunks,  one  must  see  and  hear  it.  Far 
off,  in  a  world  that  is  out  of  sight,  on  that  level  a  hun- 
dred feet  or  so  above  the  stream,  there  are  people.  A 
hundred  miles  could  not  make  their  remoteness  more 
complete.  The  trees  are  full  of  singing  and  calling 
birds,  the  banks  covered  with  ferns  and  wild  flowers; 
the  solitude  is  that  of  a  beautiful  wilderness. 

What  Idlewild  was  in  its  prehistoric  days  we  may 
conjecture  from  a  letter  written  by  its  master  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1854: 

We  were  fortunate  enough  to  identify  yesterday  a  mysterious 
inmate  of  Idlewild,  who  has  been  the  subject  of  a  great  deal 
of  discussion.  .  .  .  Summer  before  last  the  ox-drag 
turned  up  ...  a  spirited  bust,  carved  in  grey  rock. 
The  crown  of  the  head  was  broken  off,  but  the  lower  part 
of  the  face  remained,  and  the  neck  and  shoulders  and  the 
fold  of  drapery  across  the  breast  were  still  complete.  The 
design  was  that  of  a  head  turned  aside  with  a  look  of  aroused 
attention,  and  to  me  it  seemed  exceedingly  expressive  and  well 
conceived. 


398 


The  Hudson  River 


He  goes  on  to  relate  how  this  reHe  gradually  was  de- 
graded into  a  mere  hat-raek,  until  our  friend  Copway, 
the  Ojibbewa}^  Chief 

stopped  surprised  before  the  nameless  bust  on  the 
hat-stand.  "  What!  "  he  said;  "  you  have  an  Indian  god  there? " 
He  looked  a  httle  closer,  as  I  told  him  how  we  had  found  it. 
"  It  is  the  god  of  the  winds  and  the  birds,"  he  continued — "  Mesa- 
ba-wa-sin." 

Mesa-ba-wa-sin  still  presides  in  spirit  and  fact  over 
the  glen,  and  his  altars  are  everywhere.  The  wood- 
thrush  and  the  vireo  sing  his  praises  still,  and  the  wake 
robins  are  proxies  for  his  redskin  worshippers. 

There  is  a  pathetic  side  to  the  I  die  wild  days.  In 
man}^  of  the  cheery,  entertaining  letters,  and  increas- 
ingly toward  the  last,  there  is  an  acknowledgment  of 
illness.  The  man  who  wTote  them  was  nearing  the 
end  of  life,  and  he  knew^  it.  A  consumptive,  whose 
work  and  pleasure  alike  w^ere  frequently  interrupted 
by  the  setbacks  peculiar  to  that  disease;  prevented 
by  weakness  from  participation  in  many  of  the  activ- 
ities of  life;  feeling  the  ground  slipping  from  under  his 
feet  month  by  month,  Willis  uttered  no  note  of  de- 
spondency or  alarm.  He  w^as  like  a  swimmer  striking 
out  for  a  receding  shore  and  singing  till  the  water  over- 
whelmed him. 

It  is  meet  that  there  should  be  an  indissoluble  con- 
nection in  the  thoughts  of  readers  between  his  name 
and  that  of  the  little  spot  of  earth  that  he  loved  so  well 
and  where  his  last  days  were  spent. 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


The  stream  into  which  Idlewild  brook  flows  and 
which  itself  meanders  between  banks  that  are  a  per- 
petual temptation  to  the  artist,  finally  finds  its  way 
to  the  Hudson  under  the  trestles  of  a  railroad  bridge. 
That  is  Moodna,  Moodua,  or  Murderer's  Creek.  The 
last  and  least  attractive  name  is,  of  course,  the  one  on 
which  a  tradition  depends — the  story  of  the  compas- 
sion of  a  red  man,  the  steadfast  loyalty  of  a  woman, 
and  the  lust  for  blood  that  has  seemed  at  times  an 
uncontrollable  instinct  with  the  Indian. 

A  family  named  Murdoch  lived  near  the  mouth  of 
the  stream  and  frequently  welcomed  to  their  cabin  an 
Indian  called  Naoman,  who  showed  great  friendliness 
towards  them.  In  some  way  Murdoch  had  incurred 
the  hatred  of  the  men  of  Naoman  s  tribe,  who  resolved 
to  kill  the  whole  family.  The  faithful  friend  m.anaged 
to  impart  this  news,  at  the  same  time  obtaining  a 
promise  that  his  action  should  never  be  betrayed. 

Murdoch  and  his  family  stole  away  at  night  and 
took  a  boat  to  escape  through  the  Highlands,  but 
when  passing  Pollopel's  Island  a  canoe  put  out  and 
gave  chase.  Murdoch  with  his  rifle  succeeded  in  kill- 
ing several  of  the  occupants  of  the  canoe,  but  was  fin- 
ally overcome,  and  he,  with  his  wife  and  children,  were 
carried  in  triumph  to  the  Indian  village.  The  chief 
demanded  of  the  wife  of  Murdoch  the  name  of  the 
one  who  had  warned  them,  threatening  her  husband 
and  children  with  instant  death  if  she  withheld  it; 

but  the  heroic  woman  refused   to   answer.  Then 
26 


402 


The  Hudson  River 


Naonian  stepped  forward  and  aeknowledged  that  he 
was  the  guilty  one.  He  was  immediately  struek  down, 
and  the  savages,  rendered  furious  by  the  sight  of 
blood,  rushed  ui)on  the  eaptives  and  slew  them  every 
one,  casting  their  bodies  into  the  creek. 

A  small  company  of  German  Palatines,  by  the  fav- 
our of  Queen  Anne  and  under  the  escort  of  Governor 
Lovelace,  crossed  the  ocean  in  1709  and  settled  where 
is  now  the  city  of  Newburgh.  Directed  by  their  pas- 
tor, the  able  and  beloved  Kocherthall,  they  formed  a 
colony  w^hich  struggled  for  nearly  forty  years  against 
the  hardships  incident  to  frontier  life  and  the  en- 
croachments of  incoming  neighbours.  At  last  they 
abandoned  the  homes  they  had  made,  being  greatly 
dissatisfied,  and  a  majority  of  them  migrated  to  Penn- 
sylvania. Incidentally  it  may  be  observed  that,  in 
spite  of  their  many  noble  and  sterling  qualities,  the 
Palatines  seem  to  have  been  uncomfortable  neigh- 
bours, difficult  to  please  and  prone  to  nourish  a  sense 
of  injury.  The  attempt  to  colonise  them  in  the  New 
Forest  in  England  was  a  failure,  the  Newburgh  ex- 
periment was  a  failure,  the  settlements  at  East  and 
West  Camps,  hereafter  to  be  noticed,  were  scenes  of 
bewailing  and  protests  against  the  bad  faith  of  those 
w^ho  had  taken  them,  a  band  of  homeless,  penniless 
exiles,  and  had  spent  many  thousands  of  pounds  for 
their  transportation  and  maintenance.  For  that  in- 
vestment they  certainly  seemed  unwilling  to  make 
return. 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


405 


The  few  who  remained  in  Newburgh  after  the  ex- 
odus of  their  brethren  seem  to  have  been  immediately 
involved  in  a  dispute  with  their  new  neighbours,  the 
subject  being  the  possession  of  the  church  building. 
This  discussion  terminated  with  the  death  of  the  Pala- 
tine leader,  who  was  crushed  by  a  falling  door. 

Among  the  peculiar  features  of  Newburgh  s  history 
is  the  fact  that  the  ''rude  forefathers"  of  that  hamlet 
were  not  generally  Dutchmen.  To  the  German  settle- 
ment were  soon  added  English,  Irish,  and  Huguenot 
pioneers. 

Though  not  equal  in  antiquity  to  the  towns  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  or  yet  higher  up,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Albany,  Newburgh  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
being  the  oldest  settlement  in  Orange  County.  It  was 
shortly  followed  by  the  planting  of  New  Windsor,  two 
miles  below,  that  for  some  time  was  Newburgh  s  rival 
in  size  and  importance. 

What  the  Orange  County  metropolis  lacks  in  early 
history  is  more  than  made  up  by  the  importance  of 
later  events.  It  is  to  the  story  of  Washington  and  the 
Revolution  what  Camelot  was  to  the  Arthurian  legends. 
Here,  during  the  long,  gloomy  months  that  preceded 
the  dawn  of  American  independence,  the  great  chief  of 
the  Continental  army  fought  and  won  his  greatest 
battles — fought  the  growing  and  just  indignation  of 
that  army  against  a  dilatory  and  ungrateful  Congress, 
fought  the  spectres  of  want  and  care,  fought  the  fool- 
ish, fond  enthusiasm  of  his  own  generals  when  they 


4o6 


The  Hudson  River 


clamoured  to  make  him  king.  In  the  whole  great 
round  of  national  history  there  is  no  incident  so  heroic 
as  Washington's  refusal  of  the  crown  that  was  offered 
him  in  the  old  Hasbrouck  house  at  Newburgh. 

From  almost  the  very  beginning  of  the  war,  both 
the  British  and  patriot  leaders  saw  the  necessity  for 
controlling  the  river  at  Newburgh.  It  was,  after  the 
reduction  of  Fort  Washington  and  the  subsequent 
eruption  of  British  war-vessels  into  the  waters  south 
of  the  Highlands,  the  only  available  ferry  for  the  Amer- 
ican troops  that  were  hurried  now  east,  now  west,  to 
relieve  New  England  and  New  Jersey  or  Pennsylvania 
in  turn,  and  compensate  by  their  rapidity  of  move- 
ment for  the  pitiful  inadequacy  of  every  division  of 
Washington's  army.  With  that  communication  bro- 
ken, that  army  must  have  been  almost  hopelessly 
crippled. 

The  American  military  force  in  the  Revolution 
consisted  of  three  distinct  grades  or  classes  of  sol- 
diers: the  regulars,  known  as  continentals;  the  levies, 
drafted  either  from  militia  regiments  or  from  the 
people;  and  the  militia.  The  continentals  were  long- 
term  men,  always  under  arms,  commanded  by  the 
chief  of  the  army — in  a  word,  professional  soldiers. 
The  levies  were  drawn  for  a  short  term,  but  could  be 
called  upon  for  service  outside  of  their  own  State  as 
well  as  in  it.  They  were  an  inconvenient,  not  to  say 
exasperating  compromise  between  civilians  and  sol- 
diers, at  critical  times  nearly  always  reaching  the  limit 


The  Fisher's  Reach  407 

of  their  enlistment  and  going  calmly  away  home, 
leaving  their  commander  impotent  for  offence  or  de- 
fence. This  seemed  to  happen  whenever  a  body  of 
levies  had  been  licked  into  something  resembling  sol- 
dierly shape.  As  for  the  militia,  its  members  could 
only  be  called  upon  for  three  months '  consecutive  serv- 
ice outside  of  the  State  in  which  they  were  enlisted. 
They  were  called  out  and  disbanded  as  the  exigencies 
of  war  demanded,  and  were  nearly  as  apt  to  leave  a 
cannon  in  a  ditch  as  a  plough  in  a  furrow.  But  they 
were  frequently  good,  serviceable  soldiers  in  spite  of 
the  miserable  system  under  which  they  served,  and 
they  sprang,  armed,  from  the  soil  whenever  a  pressing 
occasion  presented  itself.  It  was  the  militia  and  the 
levies  that  enabled  the  commanding  general  to  throw 
reinforcements  into  the  scale  of  battle  when  his  little 
army  of  regulars  was  hard  pressed.  They  were  to  the 
British  always  an  unknown  quantity,  and  set  calcula- 
tions at  naught.  When  Gates  needed  a  larger  force 
of  men  to  oppose  to  Burgoyne,  Clinton  sent  him  the 
farmer-soldiers  of  Ulster  County  —  men  of  mingled 
Dutch  and  German  blood  —  to  complete  the  auxiliary 
force. 

On  the  sole  occasion  upon  which  the  war-ships  of 
the  British  penetrated  the  Highlands  and  for  a  short 
time  controlled  the  whole  of  the  navigable  part  of  the 
Hudson  in  1777,  their  commander  held  in  his  hands 
the  destiny  of  America. 

Had  Sir  Henry  Clinton  succeeded  in  establishing  a 


The  Hudson  River 


conjunction  with  Burgo\'nc,  or  in  hemming  Gates  be- 
tween the  force  he  had  brought  to  bay  at  Saratoga  and 
the  \-iet()ri()ns  arm\'  from  the  south,  the  wisest  general- 
shi])  and  the  most  hardy  valour  would  hardly  have 
sufficed  to  save  the  American  cause. 

Even  with  the  foregone  defeat  of  Burgoyne,  Clinton 
must  ha\^e  retired  with  deep  regret,  for  he  could  not 
ha\'e  been  blind  to  the  supreme  importance  of  retain- 
ing the  mastery  that  had  been  won  by  his  expedition 
against  the  forts.  From  a  military  standpoint,  that 
expedition,  though  brilliant  in  execution,  was  product- 
ive of  no  permanent  results.  Yet  it  would  have  been 
w^orth  almost  any  effort  or  sacrifice  to  have  held  the 
river.  Granting  the  numerical  superiority  of  the 
Americans  on  shore,  it  does  not  seem  impossible  that 
a  man  of  greater  genius  than  Sir  Henry  Clinton  might 
have  maintained  an  effectual  blockade  with  his  fleet 
upon  the  river. 

Upon  the  military  road  of  which  the  Newburgh 
ferry  was  so  important  a  feature,  not  only  troops,  but 
waggon-trains  and  artillery  were  continually  being 
moved.  Most  of  the  material  for  carrying  on  the  war 
came  through  New  England,  her  ports  being  the  only 
ones  then  available  and  was  transported  by  way  of 
Fishkill  and  Newburgh,  and  so  back  of  the  Highlands 
on  the  west  shore,  and  southward. 

When,  on  the  4th  of  April,  1782,  Washington  finally 
established  his  headquarters  in  the  famous  old  house 
that  Jonathan  Hasbrouck  built  in  1750,  the  battle  of 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


411 


Yorktown  had  been  fought  and  the  tidings  of  the  sur- 
render of  CornwalHs  had  been  received  by  Lord  North 
"  as  a  bullet  in  his  heart."  Rochambeau  was  now  left 
in  command  in  New  Jersey,  and  the  chief  settled  him- 
self with  the  army  at  Newburgh  for  those  last  weary 
months  of  waiting  for  the  definite  establishment  of 
peace.  Should  the  enemy  again  become  actively  en- 
gaged, the  importance  of  retaining  control  of  the  Hud- 
son would  not  be  less  than  formerly. 

The  Commander  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
military  family,  and  lived  at  Newburgh  till  the  latter 
part  of  the  succeeding  year.  The  old  house,  which  is 
in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation  and  is  used  as  a 
repository  for  military  relics,  is  upon  a  little  plateau 
commanding  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  river,  par- 
ticularly where  it  flows  between  the  towering  hills  that 
form  the  northern  gateway  of  the  Highlands. 

The  cottage  has  six  rooms,  besides  the  hall  and 
kitchen.  From  the  small  piazza  or  "stoop"  upon  the 
east,  the  entrance  is  into  a  large  room,  to  which  six 
other  doors  furnish  ingress,  while  the  one  small  window 
affords  a  subdued  light.  There  is,  on  the  south  side 
of  this  room,  a  noble  fireplace,  where  an  ox  might  have 
been  roasted  whole.  The  visitor,  standing  upon  the 
hearth,  can  see  the  sky  through  the  chimney-top.  The 
walls  of  the  house  are  of  stone,  two  feet  thick,  and 
the  hewn  rafters  are  of  savoury  cedar. 

Knox,  Greene,  Wayne,  Hamilton,  Steuben,  Morris — 
how  the  ghosts  gather  about  that  old  table  and  train 


412 


The  Hudson  River 


their  soldier  wit  to  gallantry  while  the  wife  of  their 
ehief  presides  o\Tr  the  tea  urn,  or  gravely  diseuss, 
after  her  retirement,  the  matters  that  have  pre-emi- 
nenc>'  in  Ameriean  history.  It  was  while  living  at 
Newburgh  that  Washington  narrowly  eseaped  eapture 
by  an  envoy  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton — at  least,  so  the 
legend  runs.  A  man  named  Ettriek  lived  with  his 
daughter  in  a  seeluded  valley  to  the  south  of  head- 
quarters; a  plaee  known  as  the  Vale  of  Avoea.  It  w^as 
at  the  head  of  a  long,  narrow  bay,  but  though  only  a 
short  distanee,  as  the  bird  flies,  from  the  Hasbrouek 
cottage,  it  eould  only  be  reaehed  by  the  road  after 
making  a  detour  of  nearly  two  miles.  Here  the  ehief 
was  in  the  habit  of  going  upon  oeeasion,  and  Ettriek 
had  planned  to  seize  him  with  the  aid  of  several  eon- 
federates  and  take  him  out  into  the  river  before  the 
alarm  could  be  given.  Fortunately,  Ettriek  s  daugh- 
ter betrayed  her  father's  plan  and  preserved  the  tenor 
of  history. 

The  condition  of  the  army  so  soon  to  be  disbanded 
moved  Washington  to  expressions  of  emotion  that 
sound  strange  coming  from  one  w^hose  reserve  and  self- 
control  were  proverbial.  His  letter  to  the  Secretary 
of  War,  wrung  from  him  by  his  deep  sense  of  the 
injury  sustained  by  the  army  through  the  neglect  of 
Congress,  was,  from  such  a  pen  as  his,  an  epistle  of 
singular  intensity. 

Under  present  circumstances,  when  I  see  a  number  of  men 
goaded  by  a  thousand  stings  of  reflections  on  the  past  and  an- 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


413 


ticipations  of  the  future  about  to  be  turned  on  the  world,  forced 
by  penury  and  by  what  they  call  the  ingratitude  of  the  public, 
involved  in  debt,  without  one  farthing  to  carry  them  home, 
after  spending  the  flower  of  their  days,  and  many  of  them  their 
patrimonies,  in  establishing  the  freedom  of  their  country,  and 
suffering  everything  this  side  death — I  repeat  it — when  I  con- 
sider these  irritating  circumstances,  without  one  thing  to  soothe 
their  feelings  or  dispel  their  prospects,  I  can  not  avoid  appre- 
hending that  a  train  of  evils  will  follow  of  a  very  serious  and 
distressing  nature.  .  .  .  You  may  rely  upon  it  the  patriot- 
ism and  long-suffering  of  this  army  is  well-nigh  exhausted,  and 
there  never  was  so  great  a  spirit  of  discontent  as  at  present. 

But  however  vehement  his  protest  on  behalf  of  his 
long-suffering  soldiers,  to  them  his  counsels  were  tem- 
perate and  charged  with  lofty  dignity.  To  them  he 
defended  the  rulers,  and  pledged  his  own  word  that 
right  should  be  done. 

When  the  paper,  drawn  up  and  signed  by  officers 
who  had  stood  at  his  side  through  the  darkest  of  the 
conflict,  informed  this  man  of  kingly  nature  that  they 
would  have  him  king  in  name  and  fact,  grief  and  in- 
dignation contended  for  mastery  in  his  breast. 

It  is  with  a  mixture  of  surprise  and  astonishment  [so  his 
answer  ran]  I  have  read  the  sentiments  you  have  submitted  for 
my  perusal.  Be  assured,  sir,  no  occurrences  in  the  course  of  the 
war  have  given  me  more  painful  sensations  than  your  informa- 
tion of  there  being  such  ideas  existing  in  the  army  as  you 
have  expressed,  and  which  I  must  view  with  abhorrence  and 
reprehend  with  severity.  I  am  much  at  a  loss  to  conceive 
what  part  of  my  conduct  could  have  given  encouragement 
to  an  address  which  to  me  seems  big  with  the  greatest  mis- 
chief that  can  befall  my  country.  If  I  am  not  deceived  in 
the  knowledge  of  myself,  you  could  not  have  found  a  person  to 
whom  your  schemes  are  more  disagreeable.    Let  me  conjure 


414 


The  Hudson  River 


you,  then,  as  you  have  regard  for  your  country,  for  yourself,  or 
posterity,  or  respect  for  me,  to  banish  these  thoughts  from  your 
mind. 

Having,  with  infinite  ]:)ains,  kc])t  in  check  the  grow- 
ing discontent  of  the  soldiers  on  the  one  side,  and  the 
ill-considered  adulation  of  his  officers  on  the  other, 
Washington  at  last  reached  the  day  when  the  order 
disbanding  the  army  must  be  given.  It  was  issued  on 
the  loth  of  April,  1783,  in  these  terms: 

The  commander-in-chief  orders  the  cessation  of  hostilities 
between  the  United  States  of  America  and  the  King  of  Great 
Britain  to  be  publicly  read  to-morrow  at  12  o'clock  at  the  new 
building,  and  the  proclamation  which  will  be  communicated 
herewith  to  be  read  to-morrow  evening  at  the  head  of  every 
regiment  and  corps  of  the  army.  After  which  the  chaplains 
with  the  several  brigades  will  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God 
for  all  His  mercies,  particularly  for  His  overruling  the  wrath  of 
men  to  His  own  glory,  and  causing  the  rage  of  war  to  cease 
among  the  nations. 

After  noble  admonitions  addressed  to  the  reason  and 
consciences  of  the  men  who  had  followed  him  so  long, 
the  General  proclaimed  a  day  of  jubilee  and  ordered 
for  every  man  an  extra  ration  of  grog.  The  last  act 
was  an  illumination  on  a  gigantic  scale,  the  watch- 
fires  on  prominent  hills  blazing  from  huge  stacks  of 
timber  to  announce  the  welcome  tidings  of  peace  to  a 
country  that  had  trembled  so  long  at  the  tram]:)  of 
armies  and  the  roar  of  cannon. 

Newburgh  is  a  State  repository  for  relics  pertaining 
to  the  Revolution,  the  war  of  181 2,  and  other  national 
conflicts.    The  house  that  was  so  long  used  as  head- 


The  Fisher's  Reach 


415 


quarters  by  Washington  is  the  centre  of  a  little  park 
that  is  open  at  all  times  to  the  public.  The  old  Senate 
House  at  Kingston  is  similarly  preserved,  and  it  is 
becoming  yearly  more  and  more  a  matter  of  local 
pride  in  the  various  river  towns  to  guard  the  reminders 
of  an  historic  past. 

Not  only  is  the  feeling  towards  the  preservation  of 
old  buildings  increasing,  but  thoughtful  people  are 
alive  to  the  necessity  for  vigorous  action  to  protect 
prominent  natural  landmarks.  To  stop  the  destruc- 
tion being  wrought  by  the  dynamite  of  the  contractor 
and  save  the  Palisades  from  ultimate  exodus  through 
the  jaws  of  the  stone-crusher,  the  Interstate  Park  Com- 
mission was  formed.  After  a  great  deal  of  hard  work 
and  no  little  application  of  faith  and  patience,  an  ap- 
propriation of  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  was 
secured  from  the  State  of  New  York  and  fifty  thousand 
from  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  result  was 
the  establishment  of  the  Palisades  Park,  which  is  in 
charge  of  the  Commission.  Back  of  the  Commission  is 
the  American  Scenic  and  Historic  Preservation  So- 
ciety, organised  first  as  a  local  New  York  association, 
but  now  national  in  its  scope.  Either  directly,  or 
through  auxiliary  societies,  it  has  become  the  custodian 
of  public  parks  founded  to  preserve  historic  sites. 

Thirty- three  acres  at  Stony  Point,  covering  the  field 
of  Wa3me's  gallant  exploit,  were  purchased  by  New 
York  State  and  delivered  to  the  guardianship  of  the 
Society  for  improvement  and  preservation. 


Chapter  XXV 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie 

FROM  Brinkerhoff  s  historical  sketch  of  Fishkill 
we  learn  that  here  was  made  the  first  pur- 
chase of  land  in  Dutchess  County.  The 
buyers  were  Francis  Rombout  and  Gulian  Ver Planck, 
and  the  date  of  the  transfer  of  their  property  from  the 
Wappinger  Indians  was  August,  1683.  "Gulian  Ver- 
Planck  died  before  the  English  patent  was  granted  by 
Governor  Dongan ;  Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt  was  then 
joined  in  it  with  Rombout,  and  Jacobus  Kipp  sub- 
stituted as  the  representative  of  the  children  of  Gulian 
VerPlanck. "  The  tract  contained  seventy-six  thou- 
sand acres  in  Fishkill  and  nine  thousand  more  within 
the  limits  of  the  present  town  of  Poughkeepsie. 

The  position  of  Fishkill  in  relation  to  Newburgh  and 
the  ferry  brought  it  into  prominence  during  the  War 
for  Independence.  Hither  flocked  many  refugees  from 
New  York  and  Long  Island,  and  the  place  became 
naturally  a  repository  for  military  stores.  Here,  at 
the  VerPlanck  house.  Baron  Steuben  had  his  head- 
quarters; the  Legislature  held  its  sessions  here  before 
going  to  Kingston.    Here  Lafayette  lay  ill  of  a  fever, 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie  417 

here  Enoch  Crosby  was  supposed  to  have  been  con- 
fined in  the  church,  here  Washington  came,  making  the 
old  Brinkerhoff  house  his  resting-place. 

Back  of  Fishkill  rises  a  ridge  of  lofty  hills,  still  cov- 
ered with  forests  in  many  places,  the  highest  point 
recently  made  accessible  by  the  construction  of  an 
''incline"  railway  that  is  nearly  perpendicular.  From 
the  summit  the  view  is  unsurpassed  in  extent  and 
variety  by  any  in  New  York  State.  From  Beacon  Hill 
the  huge  watch-fires,  lighted  to  give  warning  of  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  or  to  celebrate  the  advent  of 
peace,  could  be  seen  from  the  peaks  of  the  Catskills, 
the  rugged  tops  of  the  Highlands,  the  hills  of  West- 
chester, or  the  far-away  elevations  of  Massachusetts 
and  New  Hampshire « 

On  a  level  plateau  at  the  base  of  the  hills  the  en- 
campment of  the  American  army  was  at  one  time 
situated;  and  fortified  works,  manned  by  detach- 
ments from  the  camp,  were  placed  upon  hills  that 
commanded  the  approach.  Here,  after  the  battle  of 
White  Plains,  were  brought  the  wounded  soldiers, 
many  of  whom  lie  in  unidentified  graves  near  the  spot. 
According  to  the  writer  quoted  above,  "Upon  one  of 
the  hills  rising  out  of  this  mountain  passway  very 
distinct  lines  of  earthworks  are  still  apparent." 

Fishkill  Landing,  Matteawan  (so  named  from  an 

Indian  sub-tribe),  and  Fishkill  village  are  here  grouped, 

as  they  are  in  reality,  under  one  name.    Along  with 

Revolutionary  story  there  is  a  later  flavour  of  the 
27 


4i8 


The  Hudson  River 


delightful  eonservative  life  of  old  eountry  families,  with 
traditions  of  wholesome  living  and  hospitality  to  bal- 
anee  the  inborn  thrift  of  a  raee  whose  forebears  wrested 
their  acres  w^ith  pain  and  sweat  of  brow  from  the 
abounding  wilderness. 

Modern  Fishkill  is  generally  known  as  a  place  where 
brick-makers  nourish  a  perennial  strike  and  where  hat 
factories  abound.  It  is  stated  with  authority,  however, 
that  the  idea  of  associating  bricks  with  hats  did  not 
originate  in  Fishkill. 

Carthage  lies  about  four  miles  to  the  north  of  Fish- 
kill Landing.  It  was  formerly  known  as  Low  Point, 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  High  Point — New  Hamburg 
— two  miles  above.  The  latter  village  lies  at  the 
mouth  of  Wappenger's  (or  Wappingi's)  Creek,  so  named 
from  the  Indians  who  once  owned  the  land  on  the 
east  shore  from  this  vicinity  south  to  the  island  of 
Manhattan. 

From  this  point  is  the  best  view  of  that  projection 
upon  the  western  shore  that  has  borne  from  early 
colonial  times  the  significant  name  of  den  DuyveVs 
Dans  Kamer — the  Devil's  Dance  Chamber.  It  is  a 
rock,  half  an  acre  in  extent  (an  island  by  courtesy), 
where  formerly  the  Indians  held  their  pow-wows. 
Here,  with  wild,  savage  ceremonies,  the  imaginative 
sons  of  the  forest  invoked  their  evil  spirit.  Under  the 
lead  of  their  medicine-men  they  worked  themselves 
to  a  frenzy  with  violent  dances  and  chanted  invoca- 
tions.   According  to  the  belief  of  the  Dutch  skippers, 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie 


421 


the  devil  appeared  here  to  his  votaries  and  set  them 
on  when  any  particularly  atrocious  deed  was  to  be 
accomplished.  The  crew  of  Peter  Stuyvesant,  on  pass- 
ing this  place  in  ascending  the  river,  were  "horribly 
frightened  by  roystering  devils,"  if  we  may  believe  the 
sober  narrative  of  Knickerbocker.  The  traditions  re- 
lating to  this  miniature  island  commenced  when  Hen- 
drick  Hudson  made  his  voyage  of  discovery,  and  have 
reached  quite  to  the  present  da}^  for  there  are  many 
young  men — not  to  mention  maidens — ^who  would 
hesitate  long  before  venturing  to  spend  the  lonely 
hours  of  night  in  a  solitary  vigil  on  the  Dans  Kamer. 

For  some  reason  not  yet  fathomed  the  spectre  of 
Kidd  rises  wherever  there  is  a  remarkable  rock  or  cove 
on  the  river  bank.  Kidds  Rock  appears  on  "Kings- 
lands"  Point  at  Tarrytown,  and  again  in  the  High- 
lands. A  futile  attempt  to  discover  a  portion  of  his 
treasure  in  a  sunken  wreck  off  the  foot  of  the  Dunder- 
berg  has  already  been  alluded  to,  and  the  Dans  Kamer 
has  been  the  scene  of  one  or  more  similar  endeavours 
to  possess  the  Spanish  gold  pieces  with  which  he  was 
supposed  to  have  recklessly  planted  the  shores  near 
which  he  may  have  sailed. 

But  it  is  necessary  to  put  away  the  childish  things 
of  superstition  and  credulity  before  entering  a  city 
long  devoted  to  the  work  of  disseminating  knowledge. 
Men  that  the  nation  has  delighted  to  honour  passed 
their  schooldays  at  the  old  Poughkeepsie  Collegiate 
School,  that  received  its  charter  in  1836.   It  afterwards 


422 


The  Hudson  River 


became  the  River\'iew  Academy,  the  change  of  name 
corresponding  with  the  removal  from  College  Hill,  the 
old  site,  to  Riverview.  The  Eastman  College,  devoted 
to  the  work  of  preparing  young  men  for  business,  has 
also  been  long  established  and  is  widely  known;  but 
to  a  great  many  thousands  of  educated  women  all  over 
the  world  Poughkeepsie  means  Vassar." 

When  Matthew  Vassar  conceived  the  idea  of  doing 
something  of  public  value  with  his  wealth,  he  hit  at 
first  upon  the  plan  of  erecting  a  monument.  It  should 
be  a  thing  to  look  and  w^onder  at,  something  to  com- 
memorate the  most  important  event  in  the  history  of 
the  river,  namely,  its  discovery.  He  would  build  a 
monument  to  Henry  Hudson.  Some  one  suggested 
Pollopel's  Island  as  the  proper  location  for  such  a 
work,  and  Mr.  Vassar,  full  of  the  project,  announced 
it  in  the  local  papers.  To  his  disappointment  no  one 
so  much  as  spoke  of  it,  and  he  then  resolved  to  give 
to  the  world  a  greater  and  worthier  monument  than 
he  at  first  imagined.  So  the  first  college  in  the  world 
to  be  devoted  exclusively  to  the  higher  education  of 
women  was  founded.  It  solved  in  the  only  practical 
way  a  question  that  had  been  fruitlessly  discussed  for 
years.  Through  all  the  ages  there  had  been  exception- 
ally favoured  women  who  had  been  specially  trained, 
in  the  way  that  men  were  trained,  and  had  left  such 
records  of  intellectual  achievement  that  the  world  gen- 
erally regarded  them  as  peculiar  creatures,  excessively 
endowed.    There  was  always,  in  the  minds  of  the  ma- 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie 


423 


jority  even  of  educated  men,  a  doubt  whether  the 
whole  fabric  of  social  life  would  not  go  to  pieces  if 
women  were  granted  equal  intellectual  advantages  with 
men,  even  supposing  their  brains  could  stand  the  strain. 
To  meet  such  objections  the  only  effectual  reply  must 
come  in  the  way  of  an  object-lesson,  and  this  lesson 
Vassar  College  has  furnished. 

It  is  situated  two  miles  east  of  the  city,  on  an  ele- 
vation of  several  hundred  feet,  though  it  is  not  seen 


TOMPKIXS'  COVE 


from  the  river.  To  offer  here  a  mere  catalogue  of  its 
extensive  buildings,  or  such  a  meagre  list  of  its  advan- 
tages as  our  space  permits,  would  serve  no  purpose. 
Its  fame  has  gone  out  through  all  the  world,  and  the 
lessons  it  has  taught  have  not  all  been  included  in  its 
regular  curriculum  of  studies. 

Matthew  Vassar  was  born  in  England  in  1792  and 
was  brought  to  America  when  four  3^ears  old.    He  was 


4^4 


The  Hudson  Rix  cr 


consequently  sixty-nine  years  of  age  when  Vassar  Col- 
lege was  incor]:)orated  in  1861. 

At  the  old  Huguenot  village  of  New  Paltz,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river  from  Poughkeepsie,  is  situ- 
ated the  State  Normal  School,  and  here  recently  a 
number  of  young  women  from  Cuba  have  been  prepar- 
ing for  educational  work  in  their  ow^n  lately  liberated 
land. 

Perhaps  no  writer  who  has  lived  on  the  Hudson  has 
linked  so  really  a  generation  that  has  passed  with  the 
men  of  to-day  as  John  Bigelow, — author,  editor,  man 
of  affairs,  representative  of  his  countrymen  both  at 
home  and  abroad.  Mr.  Bigelow,  born  in  181 7,  had 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  world's  work  and  had 
made  a  reputation  in  letters  before  many  of  the  men 
now  before  the  public  had  seen  the  light.  He  was  a 
partner  of  William  Cullen  Bryant  in  the  ownership  of 
the  New  York  Evening  Post  in  1849,  ^^d  was  its  man- 
aging editor  till  called  by  Lincoln  in  1861  to  represent 
the  United  States  in  France.  He  was  afterwards  Sec- 
retary of  State  for  New  York  and  filled  other  important 
offices.  A  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
biographer  of  Bryant  and  of  Franklin,  trustee  under 
Samuel  J.  Tilden's  will  of  several  million  dollars  for  the 
proposed  New  York  Public  Library,  and  the  editor  of 
Tilden's  speeches,  Mr.  Bigelow  s  story  is  one  of  many 
and  varied  activities,  and  his  personality  has  attracted 
the  friendship  of  the  most  distinguished  men  of  his 
times.     He  began  his  life  at  Maiden,  N.  Y.,  and 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie  '  425 


finally  retired  to  his  delightful  home  near  the  shore  of 
the  Hudson. 

There  is  an  Indian  legend  connected  with  the  name 
of  Poughkeepsie,  which  is  said  to  be  derived  from 
the  Mohegan  word  apo-keep-sinck — "  a  safe  and  pleas- 
ant harbour. ' '  Between  the  rocky  bluffs  called  Slange 
Klippe  and  Call  Rock,  the  Fall  Kill  flowed  into  a  bay 
near  which  was  formed  the  earliest  nucleus  of  the  vil- 
lage. The  Indian  legend,  giving  a  plausible  genesis 
to  the  name  apo-keep-sinck,  is  to  the  effect  that  a 
Pequod  warrior,  being  captured  by  some  Delawares 
and  condemned  to  torture,  was  offered  his  liberty  if 
he  would  renounce  his  own  tribe  and  become  a  mem- 
ber of  theirs.    He  rejected  the  proposition 

and  was  bound  to  a  tree  for  sacrifice,  when  a  shriek  from  a 
thicket  startled  the  executioners.  A  young  girl  leaped  before 
them  and  implored  his  life.  She  was  a  captive  Pequod,  with 
the  turtle  on  her  bosom,  and  the  young  chief  was  her  affianced. 
The  Delawares  consulted,  when  suddenly  the  war-whoop  of 
some  fierce  Hurons  made  them  snatch  their  arms  for  defence. 
The  maiden  severed  the  thongs  that  bound  her  lover,  but  in  the 
deadly  conflict  that  ensued  they  were  separated,  and  a  Huron 
chief  carried  off  the  captive  as  a  trophy.  Her  affianced  con- 
ceived a  bold  design  for  her  rescue,  and  proceeded  immediately 
to  execute  it.  In  the  character  of  a  wizard  he  entered  the 
Huron  camp.  The  maiden  was  sick,  and  her  captor  employed 
the  wizard  to  prolong  her  life  until  he  should  satisfy  his  revenge 
upon  Uncas,  her  uncle,  the  great  chief  of  the  Mohegans.  They 
eluded  the  vigilance  of  the  Hurons,  fled  at  night,  with  swift  feet, 
towards  the  Hudson,  and  in  the  darkness  shot  out  upon  its 
bosom,  in  a  light  canoe,  followed  by  bloodthirsty  pursuers.  The 
strong  arm  of  the  young  Pequod  paddled  his  beloved  one 
safely  to  a  deep,  rocky  nook  near  the  mouth  of  the  Winnakee, 


426 


The  Hudson  River 


concealed  her  thcTc.  and  with  a  few  friendly  Delawares,  whom  he 
had  secured  by  a  shout,  he  fought,  conquered,  and  drove  off  the 
Huron  warriors.  The  sheltered  nook  where  the  maiden  lay  was 
a  safe  harbour  for  her  and  the  brave  Pequod,  and  his  friends  joy- 
fully confirmed  its  title  of  A  po-kccp-Sinck. 

Should  there  be  any  so  skej^tical  as  to  question  this 
ingenious  tale,  he  must  be  allowed  to  cherish  his  doubt 
unchallenged,  for,  unfortunately,  there  are  no  docu- 
ments by  which  it  may  be  verified. 

It  was  a  long  time  afterwards,  quite  near  the  close 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  that  the  Dutch  settled 
Poughkeepsie.  They  not  only  discovered  the  little 
safe  harbour,  but  contrived  more  than  twenty  w^ays  to 
spell  it,  ultimately  choosing  the  most  difficult.  Near 
the  spot  where  the  Indians  were  supposed  to  have 
landed,  Baltus  Van  Kleeck  built  a  stone  house  in  the 
year  1705.  This  house  stood  till  after  the  Revolution, 
and  was  used  by  the  Legislature  of  New  York  after  the 
burning  of  Kingston.    About  1835  it  was  torn  down. 

Poughkeepsie  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1854.  It 
early  became  the  centre  for  the  trade  of  Dutchess 
County,  which,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  at  first  but 
meagre;  but  it  was  also  connected  by  the  Dutchess 
turnpike  with  Sharon,  Conn.,  and  thence  with  Litch- 
field, and  over  this  line  the  stages  and  market  waggons 
travelled  with  profitable  frequency. 

Mr.  Joel  Benton,  long  a  resident  of  Poughkeepsie, 

has  written  concerning  its  early  history: 

In  colonial  days  few  were  the  people  here;  but  they  were  a 
bright  and  stirring  handful.    It  seems  as  if  every  man  counted 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie 


as  ten.  ...  I  suppose  it  need  not  now  be  counted  strange 
that  the  strong  mixture  of  Dutch  and  EngUsh  settlers,  with  a 
few  Huguenots,  which  finally  made  Dutchess  County,  were  not 
a  little  divided  between  Tory  and  Whig  inclinations.  Around 
Poughkeepsie,  and  in  its  allied  towns  stretching  between  the 
Hudson  River  and  the  Connecticut  line,  there  was  much  strife. 
Gov.  George  Clinton  in  his  day  ruled  in  the  midst  of  much 
tumult  and  turbulence;  but  he  held  the  reins  with  vigour,  in 
spite  of  kidnappers  or  critics.  When  the  British  burned  King- 
ston he  prorogued  the  Legislature  to  Poughkeepsie,  which  still 
served  as  a  "safe  harbour."  As  the  Revolution  progressed,  the 
Tory  faction  was  weakened,  either  by  suppression  or  surrender. 

It  was  in  the  Poughkeepsie  Court  House  that,  by  one  vote, 
after  a  Homeric  battle,  the  colony  of  New  York  consented  to 
become  a  part  of  the  American  Republic,  which  consent  was 
practically  necessary  to  its  existence.  .  .  .  Poughkeepsie 
honoured,  in  May,  1824,  the  arrival  of  Lafayette. 
Daniel  Webster  has  spoken  in  her  Court  House;  and  Henry 
Clay,  in  1844,  when  a  presidential  candidate,  stopped  for  a 
reception.  And  it  is  said  that,  by  a  mere  accident,  she  just 
missed  contributing  a  name  to  the  list  of  Presidents  of  the 
United  States.  The  omitted  candidate  was  Nathaniel  P.  Tal- 
madge.  He  could  have  had  the  Vice-Presidency,  so  the  story 
goes,  in  1840;  but  would  not  take  it.  If  he  had  accepted  it  he 
would  have  gone  into  history,  not  merely  as  United  States  Sena- 
tor from  New  York  and  afterwards  Governor  of  Wisconsin  Terri- 
tory, but  as  President  in  John  Tyler's  place. 

In  1844,  the  New  York  State  fair  was  held  here,  somewhere 
east  of  what  is  now  Hooker  Avenue.  It  was  an  occasion  thought 
important  enough  then  to  be  pictured  and  reported  in  the 
London  Ilhistrated  News.  Two  years  after,  the  telegraph  wires 
were  put  up  in  this  city,  before  they  had  yet  reached  the  city 
of  New  York.  Considering  the  fact  that  Professor  S.  F.  B. 
Morse,  the  telegraph  inventor,  had  his  residence  here,  this  inci- 
dent was  not  wholly  inappropriate. 

Professor  Morse's  home  was  called  Locust  Grove,  and 
lay  a  couple  of  miles  to  the  south  of  the  city.  It 


428 


The  Hudson  River 


should  not  be  forgotten  that  before  he  had  made  his 
great  rc]  nit  at  ion  as  an  inventor  he  was  widely  known 
as  an  artist.  To  him  the  Ameriean  Academy  of  De- 
sign owed  its  first  im]3ulse.  It  is  said  that  his  summer 
home  at  Locust  Grove  was  connected  by  telegraphic 
wires  with  all  prominent  points  upon  the  American 
continent. 

Not  far  below  Locust  Grove  is  the  famous  ferry 
where  for  many  years  the  Milton  horse-boat  plied  to 
and  fro  across  the  river.  At  the  eastern  end  of  the 
ferry,  in  the  old  war  times,  dwelt  the  blacksmith  and 
jack-of -all-trades,  Theophilus  Anthony.  There,  at  his 
forge,  he  worked  over  the  mammoth  chain  that  was 
used  to  obstruct  the  river  at  Fort  Montgomery.  He 
gave  what  assistance  he  could  to  the  patriot  army,  and 
it  may  well  be  believed  that  a  strong  and  willing  arm 
and  a  good  forge  found  plenty  of  occupation;  but 
retribution  came  when  Vaughan  s  ships  passed  up  the 
river  with  the  torch.  The  smithy  and  mill  were  among 
the  first  places  to  be  laid  in  ashes,  and  the  smith  him- 
self was  carried  a  captive  to  the  most  detestable  prison- 
ship  that  history  has  made  a  record  of — the  filthy  and 
disease-saturated  Jersey.  Past  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  the  horse-boats  at  Milton  and  Coxsac- 
kie  ran,  the  only  survivors  of  an  obsolete  class. 

North  of  Poughkeepsie  the  river  is  spanned  by  the 
fragile-looking  cantilever  bridge,  that  was  commenced 
in  1873,  hut  abandoned  and  the  work  not  again  re- 
sumed till  1886.    Three  years  later  it  was  completed 


Fishkill  to  Poughkeepsie  429 

by  the  Union  Bridge  Company.  The  bridge  is  over 
twelve  thousand  feet  long — about  two  and  a  half  miles 
— and  at  the  centre  is  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet 
clear  above  the  river.  Its  cost  was  over  three  million 
dollars.  The  purpose  for  which  the  Poughkeepsie 
Bridge  was  built,  it  was  understood,  was  to  place  Penn- 
sylvania coal  in  New  England  by  a  direct  route,  and  it 
was  owned  and  controlled  by  the  Philadelphia  &  Read- 
ing Railroad.  This  arrangement,  it  was  thought, 
would  preclude  the  possibility  of  dictation  of  prices  by 
any  intermediate  company.  But  the  original  purpose 
was  defeated,  if  not  lost  sight  of,  when  the  ownership 
of  the  bridge  was  acquired  by  another  company. 

For  seven  years  past  the  river  at  Poughkeepsie  has 
been  the  scene  of  one  of  the  gayest  and  most  popular 
of  all  the  great  annual  features  of  college  athletics. 
There  the  regatta  of  the  Intercollegiate  Rowing  Asso- 
ciation is  held  every  June,  and  over  one  of  the  finest 
straightaway  courses  in  the  world  the  eager  crews 
from  six  great  universities  contend  for  the  champion- 
ship. The  crowds  of  spectators  generally  cross  the 
river  to  Highland  Station,  where  observation  trains  on 
the  West  Shore  Road  are  in  waiting  to  receive  them. 


Chapter  XXVI 


Sports  and  Industries 

A BRIEF  commentary  on  riparian  pastimes  and 
industries  seems  to  be  necessary  to  complete 
the  story  of  the  river.  A  reference,  at  least, 
to  these  matters  will  be  permitted,  if  not  demanded, 
by  the  reader.  One  recalls  in  this  connection  the  fam- 
ous delivery  of  a  well-known  critic  concerning  a  popu- 
lar book:  If  you  like  this  sort  of  a  book,  this  is  the 
sort  of  a  book  you  like."  If  one  cares  for  ice-boating, 
fishing,  and  kindred  occupations,  this  is  the  sort  of  a 
subject  that  he  cares  for;  but,  realising  that  the  con- 
verse is  also  true,  we  frankly  re-echo  the  advice  given 
by  Mrs.  Stowe,  in  the  preface  to  a  chapter  on  New 
England  theology,  "  If  the  reader  is  not  interested  in 
the  subject  of  this  chapter,  he  is  invited  to  skip  it." 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  intercollegiate  races 
that  for  nearly  a  decade  have  enlivened  the  waters 
about  Poughkeepsie  and  have  drawn  each  year  a  mul- 
titude of  enthusiastic  spectators.  But  it  is  not  only 
at  summer  time  that  the  waters  offer  a  field  for  exciting 
contests  of  strength  or  skill.    The  upper  reaches  of  the 

river  become  in  winter  the  theatre  of  sports  that  recall 

430 


Sports  and  Industries 


431 


the  tales  that  are  told  of  the  vigorous  generation  in- 
habiting that  region  in  old  colonial  days. 

We  have  read  how,  in  the  time  of  Volckert  Douw — 
recorder,  mayor,  vice-president  of  the  first  Provincial 
Congress,  judge,  Indian  commissioner,  and  what  not — 
the  ice  on  the  river  in  front  of  his  house  at  Wolven- 
hoek  was  the  race-course  upon  which  the  speed  of  rival 
horses  was  matched  in  many  an  exciting  contest. 
There  the  great  and  fashionable  world  of  Albany  and 
Kingston,  we  may  suppose,  entered  into  that  exhilarat- 
ing pastime  with  a  zest  that  belonged  to  a  simpler  phase 
of  life.  It  is  a  trite  reflection  that  the  fathers  enjoyed 
their  pleasures  more  heartily,  having  fewer  to  enjoy. 

There  is  a  story  told  of  a  dinner  given  by  Douw 
to  Red  Jacket,  the  Indian  chief,  at  which  were  present 
not  only  a  number  of  his  fellow-redskins,  but  a  few 
prominent  white  men,  with  General  Schuyler  at  their 
head.  There  was  plenty  of  good  cheer,  the  peace  pipe 
circulated,  and  it  may  be  that  something  more  ex- 
hilarating was  not  lacking,  for  after  awhile  the  Gen- 
eral and  his  host  became  engaged  in  an  eager  discussion 
upon  the  relative  merits  of  two  horses,  one  the  mount 
upon  which  Schuyler  had  ridden  from  Albany  and  the 
other  a  famous  race-horse.  Sturgeon,  that  was  the  pride 
of  Douw's  stable.  Of  course,  the  Indian  guests  pricked 
up  their  ears,  for  an  Indian,  drunk  or  sober,  loves 
nothing  so  well  as  a  horse-race.  There  seem  to  have 
been  obstacles  enough  in  the  way  of  a  race  at  that 
moment.    It  was  night  and  the  sky  was  overcast,  while 


The  Hudson  River 


from  recent  rain  the  ice  was  in  a  slo])])y  condition.  But 
neither  white  nor  red  men  were  inchned  to  stand  at 
obstacles.  At  a  hint  from  one  of  the  disputants,  red- 
skin and  negro  servants  in  a  crowd  made  for  the  river, 
where  in  a  short  time  they  marked  and  cleared  a 
course  across  and  down  stream,  lighting  the  way  with 
torches  and  lanterns.  Peter  Van  Loan,  the  overseer, 
was  master  of  ceremonies,  and  King  Charles,  a  famous 
jockey  in  his  day,  rode  Sturgeon.  The  bets  were 
large,  Schuyler  having  backed  his  own  horse  heavily, 
and  the  excitement  was  intense  as  the  contestants  went 
flying  down  the  course  between  the  rows  of  flaring 
lights  and  shouting  spectators.  When  old  Sturgeon 
came  in  first,  we  may  hope  that  Douw  concealed  his 
satisfaction  and  Schuyler  his  chagrin,  since  both  w^ere 
true-blue  sportsmen  of  the  old  school,  who  could  take 
good  or  ill  fortune  and  give  no  sign. 

After  a  century  and  a  half  we  find  that  the  old  spirit 
has  not  died  out.  Still  the  ice-decked  river  is  the 
scene  of  many  a  winter  carnival.  Horses  of  famous 
pedigrees,  sharp-shod  and  with  nerves  tingling  in  an 
atmosphere  like  an  electric  bath,  have  literally  flung 
distance  to  the  winds  over  those  crystal  courses,  where, 
in  summer,  the  boats  tack  lazily  from  shore  to  shore. 

Even  more  exciting  than  the  horse-races  are  the  con- 
tests of  ice-boats,  for  which  the  upper  Hudson,  espe- 
cially in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tivoli  and  Hyde  Park,  is 
famous.  An  ice-boat  is  to  an  ordinary  boat  what  the 
Empire  State  Express  is  to  a  way  freight.    It  does  not 


Sports  and  Industries  433 

sail,  it  flies,  reminding  one  of  the  Chinaman's  famous  de- 
scription of  his  first  toboggan  shde, — "  Phwt ! ! !  Walkee 
back  two  milee."  At  a  speed  of  something  approach- 
ing a  mile  a  minute,  a  zero  temperature  is  very  much 


ICE-BOAT  FLEET  NEAR  HYDE  PARK 

like  a  keen-edged  sword;  it  will  certainly  suggest  a 
dividing  asunder  of  the  joints  and  marrow,"  unless  the 
sailor  on  that  perilous  plain  has  taken  the  precaution 
to  swathe  himself  in  as  many  garments  as  one  of 
Knickerbocker's  beswaddled  Dutchmen,  and  is  equipped 
with  a  circulatory  system  that  can  bid  defiance  to  a 

nipping  air. 

28 


434 


The  Hudson  River 


Not  infrequently  wreck  and  disaster  add  a  spice  of 
uncertainty  to  the  ice-boatman's  career.  There  is  a 
fair  i)ercentage  of  danger  to  be  encountered,  sufficient 
to  insure  the  sportsman  against  any  risk  of  ennui. 
Sometimes  an  air-hok%  invisible  half  a  mile  away,  is 
an  imminent  condition  in  thirty  seconds ;  sometimes  an 
unmanageable  craft  crosses  a  racer's  bows,  or  a  sudden 
squall  keels  her  over.  The  crew  of  a  boat  that  is 
going  at  a  rate  of  speed  that  would  put  the  cannon- 
ball  flight  of  a  wild  duck  to  shame  may  escape  with 
life  and  limb  the  shock  of  arrested  motion,  but  that 
will  be  because  the  ways  of  Providence  are  past  find- 
ing out. 

It  is  a  matter  of  course  (but  no  less  a  subject  for 
congratulation)  that  the  passion  for  skating  has  not 
yet  died  out.  The  army  of  those  who  every  year  glide 
and  stumble,  stagger  and  pirouette  on  the  frozen  face 
of  the  waters  still  must  be  reckoned  by  the  thousands. 
Nor  can  we  imagine  it  otherwise  as  long  as  the  Hudson 
valley  is  largely  inhabited  by  descendants  of  those  who 
brought  to  the  new  country  the  tastes  and  habits  that 
had  been  fostered  for  generations  in  the  sturdy  little 
land  of  dykes  and  canals. 

Another  form  of  winter  sport,  that  frequently 
assumes  the  careful  gravity  of  business,  is  ice  fishing. 
There  are  still  a  number  of  sportsmen  as  well  as  pro- 
fessional fishermen,  though  not  as  many  as  formerly, 
who  engage  in  this  occupation.  The  solitary  fisherman 
sets  his  lines  through  holes  in  the  ice,  fixing  to  each  one 


Sports  and  Industries 


435 


a  tell-tale,  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a  flag,  that  by  a 
simple  mechanical  arrangement  indicates  when  a  fish 
has  been  hooked.  With  a  sled  to  carry  his  parapher- 
nalia and  a  cube  of  frozen  salt  pork  for  his  luncheon, 
such  a  fisherman  may  skate  ten  or  twelve  miles  to  find 
a  favourable  ground,  and  the  fewer  his  companions  the 
more  he  is  to  be  congratulated.  But  usually  the  pro- 
fessionals are  gregarious  in  their  habits,  which  is  neces- 
sary from  the  methods  they  employ.  A  long  fissure, 
cut  at  right  angles  with  the  current  of  the  river,  admits 
the  insertion  of  a  weighted  net,  the  upper  edge  of 
which  is  secured  to  transverse  sticks  above  the  open- 
ing. Such  fishing  is  serious  business  and  not  likely  to 
conduce  to  levity.  The  lines  of  the  net  freeze  rigid  as 
steel  rods,  the  icy  water  soaks  the  thickest  gloves  till 
they  are  sodden  and  cold,  the  very  fish  that  are  drawn 
out  of  that  dark  and  mysterious  current  under  the  ice 
are  congealed — stiff  as  stakes — the  moment  they  are 
exposed  to  the  atmosphere,  and  to  handle  them  is  like 
handling  pieces  of  ice.  In  the  face  of  these  discom- 
forts the  winter  fisherman,  slapping  his  legs  to  restore 
lost  circulation,  moving  stiffly  because  of  the  rheumat- 
ism contracted  last  year,  or  nursing  the  cracked  and 
bleeding  fingers  that  were  frozen  last  week,  is  as  cheer- 
ful a  citizen  as  circumstances  will  permit;  but  it  is  a 
far  cry  from  the  frozen  river  as  he  sees  it,  a  field  of 
labour  and  a  scene  of  drudgery,  to  the  glittering,  joy- 
ous plain  that  the  well  clad  and  nourished  ice-boatman 
beholds. 


43^ 


The  Hudson  River 


As  every  one  knows,  the  most  important  fisheries  on 
the  Hudson  are  those  where  the  shad  is  taken.  There 
has  long  Ijeen  a  rivalry  between  Hudson  River  and 
Chesapeake  shad,  New  York  and  Maryland  each  claim- 
ing precedence,  and  finally  agreeing  only  upon  one 
point — that  beside  those  two  there  are  no  others. 
From  the  mouth  of  the  river  almost  to  the  head  of 
navigation,  as  soon  as  winter  closes,  the  boats  of  the 
fishermen  put  out  to  set  the  shad  poles  and  get  all  in 
readiness  for  the  approaching  season.  From  the  vicin- 
ity of  Fort  Lee,  Piermont,  Croton,  Poughkeepsie,  and 
many  another  favourable  point,  they  range  themselves 
in  order  serviceable"  and  wait  the  advent  of  the  van- 
guard of  that  unnumbered  host  that  about  the  ist  of 
April  begins  to  move  towards  the  headwaters  of  the 
river.  The  first  "run"  sends  a  quiver  of  excitement 
through  the  communities  of  fishers,  and  the  news  is 
telegraphed  from  New  York  to  Albany.  The  news- 
papers herald  the  coming  of  the  shad  and  the  market- 
men  display  them  with  pride  and  expatiate  upon  their 
merits.  At  that  time  a  multitude  of  the  passengers  re- 
turning from  the  Jersey  shore  to  Manhattan  by  way 
of  the  upper  ferries  may  be  seen  carrying  mysterious 
newspaper  packages,  that  emit  a  fishy  odour.  These 
are  generally  heads  of  families  who  have  learned  the 
advantage  of  buying  their  shad  as  they  come  fresh 
from  the  nets. 

The  schools  of  fish  ascend  the  river  to  spawn  and  are 
in  prime  condition  during  their  upward  migration,  re- 


Sports  and  Industries 


437 


turning  in  a  few  weeks  so  poor  and  thin  that  a  prover- 
bial synonym  for  leanness  and  poverty  is  "  the  last  run 
of  shad." 

The  Fish  Commissioners  have  a  shad  station  at  Cats- 
kill  where  the  weight  and  size  of  the  fish  taken,  the 


MENDING  NETS  AT  GARRISON 

preponderance  of  the  roe  over  buck  shad,  and  all  other 
data  for  statistical  reports  are  carefully  noted.  Mr. 
A.  N.  Cheney,  State  Fish  Culturalist,  wrote,  in  1895, 
that: 

It  is  extremely  doubtful,  under  the  present  law,  and  present 
manner  of  fishing  the  river,  if  the  Hudson  can  be  considered  a 
self-sustaining  shad  river.  The  demand  upon  it  grows  with  in- 
crease of  population  and  improved  facilities  for  shipping  shad  to 
a  distance.  It  is  not  alone  among  the  people  living  along  the 
river  that  the  shad  find  a  market,  but  hundreds  of  miles  of  rail- 
ways act  as  distributing  agents  and  take  shad  where  formerly 
they  were  unknown.  Since  1882,  the  United  States  Fish  Com- 
mission has  made  large  contributions  of  shad  fry  and  eggs  to  the 
Hudson,  and  these  contributions  have  been  important  factors  in 
keeping  the  supply  up  to  the  present  figures. 

The  "contributions"  of  shad  fry  for  restocking  the 


438 


The  Hudson  River 


river,  from  all  sources,  ha\'e  in  lifteen  years  aggregated 
probably  not  less  than  a  hundred  million. 

Years  ago  the  shad  used  to  run  u])  the  river  to 
Baker's  Falls,  nearh^  fifty  miles  above  Troy,  and  the 
farmers  came  from  distant  points  to  camp  at  the 
Falls  an.d  catch  the  fish  to  salt  down.  But  the  build- 
ing of  the  Troy  dam  ])ut  a  stop  to  that  industry. 

The  statistics  for  a  recent  year,  published  by  the 
State  Fish  Commissioners,  show  that  in  three  thousand 
five  hundred  nets  over  a  million  shad  were  caught. 
During  the  two  months  or  less  that  the  shad  season 
lasts  the  fishing  stations  are  scenes  of  picturesque  ac- 
tivity, retaining,  perhaps,  more  suggestion  of  the  old 
distinctive  river  life  than  anything  else  that  we  can 
witness  to-day.  The  toiling  groups  of  roughly  clad 
rivermen,  handling  and  shipping  the  fish,  the  midget 
fleets  of  clustering  boats,  and  the  endless  labour  of 
spreading,  drying,  and  repairing  the  nets,  are  details 
of  a  quaint  and  fascinating  picture.  The  greatest 
number  of  nets  operated  are  at  Alpine  and  Fort  Lee 
on  the  Jersey  shore,  and  at  Nyack  and  Ossining  in 
New  York. 

The  striped  bass,  while  caught  for  market,  is  more 
of  a  fish  for  sportsmen,  for  he  takes  only  live  bait  and 
makes  a  fight  that  will  cause  an  angler's  blood  to  leap. 
This  fish  is  to  be  found  as  far  as  the  brackish  water  runs. 
In  the  lower  part  of  the  river  for  many  years  the  prac- 
tice of  fishing  for  bass  in  the  spring  fell  into  disuse. 
Only  when  the  water  began  to  be  cold  in  the  autumn 


Sports  and  Industries 


439 


did  Piscator,  equipped  with  rod  and  reel  and  store  of 
shrimp  or  "shedder,"  seek  some  fortunate  spot,  by 
bearings  which  may  have  been  transmitted  from  an 
earlier  generation,  there  to  make  long  casts  and  in- 
dulge in  large  anticipations.  But  a  few  years  ago 
some  one  recollected  that  in  the  old  days  the  best  time 
to  fish  for  bass  was  in  the  spring.  Two  or  three  fish 
of  phenomenal  size  rewarded  the  anglers  who  were 
hardy  enough  to  brave  public  opinion,  and  from  that 
day  the  striped  bass  has  had  a  troubled  life. 

Long  ago  the  Indians  found  the  bays  and  shallows 
of  the  river  prolific  breeding-grounds  for  oysters,  and 
some  of  the  tribes  are  said  to  have  used  the  bivalves  as 
one  of  their  chief  means  of  sustenance.  Their  frequent 
shell  heaps,  some  of  them  not  yet  obliterated,  bear 
witness  to  the  favour  in  which  this  epicurean  morsel 
was  held  by  the  aborigines.  During  the  early  years  of 
New  York's  history,  the  poorer  people  depended 
largely  upon  the  plentiful  oyster  supply  as  one  of  the 
cheapest  varieties  of  food  they  could  obtain,  but  now 
the  supply  is  at  best  meagre  and  the  oyster  industry 
decadent.  Within  comparatively  recent  times  it  was 
a  common  sight  to  see  little  fleets  of  boats,  their  occu- 
pants w^ielding  the  long,  ungainly  rakes  with  which 
their  spoil  was  detached  from  the  river-bed  and  brought 
aboard;  but  that  spectacle  is  growing  yearly  less 
familiar. 

The  giant  of  the  upper  river  for  many  years  was  the 
sturgeon,  a  monster  of  uncouth  appearance,  whose 


440 


The  nudson  River 


coarse  flesh,  if  ])ro])erly  eooked,  is  not  un])alatable. 
This  fish  is  not  extiiiet,  though  not  nearly  as  plentiful 
as  fornierl\\  when  its  eonsumption  at  the  wState  eapital 
ga\'e  it  the  i;)opular  name  of  Albany  beef.  The  stur- 
geon attains  a  length  of  five  or  six  and  (exeeptionally) 
eight  feet,  while  the  weight  of  a  single  specimen  is  said 
sometimes  to  exceed  four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
When  sturgeon  were  more  plentiful  than  now,  the}^ 
were  caught  for  the  oil,  that  has  been  esteemed  equal 
to  the  best  sperm.  The  leap  of  the  sturgeon,  immor- 
talised by  Drake  in  The  Culprit  Fay,  w^as  a  frequent 
sight  a  generation  ago,  and  it  w^as  worth  a  day's  jour- 
ney to  see  that  quivering  bulk  pierce  the  surface,  a 
living  projectile,  and,  describing  a  parabola  of  eight 
or  ten  feet,  fling  a  rainbow  arch  of  spra}^  into  the 
sunlight. 

The  herring  have  also  frequented  the  waters  of  the 
Hudson  at  intervals,  and  perch,  white-fish,  snappers 
(young  bluefish),  and  a  multitude  of  the  smaller  fry, 
are  familiar  to  every  American  boy  who  is  in  training 
for  the  Presidency. 

Within  the  past  fifteen  3^ears  the  Fish  Commissioners 
have  put  thousands  of  salmon  and  other  fry  in  the 
river,  and  occasionally  fine  specimens  of  varieties  thus 
introduced  have  been  taken,  while  it  is  expected  that 
the  future  w^ill  more  than  justify  the  outlay,  but  in 
general  it  is  acknowledged  that  this  great  volume  of 
water  flow^ing  seaward  with  slow  gradations  from  the 
freshness  of  a  mountain  stream  to  the  saltness  of  the 


Sports  and  Industries  441 


ocean  is  no  longer  a  fisherman's  river.  One  can 
hardly  believe  that  the  schools  of  fish  have  been  de- 
pleted by  the  industry  of  the  fishermen.  By  the 
ordinary  process  of  mtiltiplication,  if  unchecked  by 
other  untoward  influences,  the  supjjly  of  fish  in  such  a 
river  must  always  be  in  excess  of  the  number  caught 
with  hook  and  line.  But  there  are  other  pernicious 
influences,  among  them  the  pollution  which  results 
from  sewage  in  the  vicinity  of  large  towns.  There  can 
be  little  doubt  that  fish  are  poisoned  by  the  fouling  of 
the  element  in  which  they  live.  It  may  be  too  that 
the  constant  accretion  of  cinders  and  ashes  upon  the 
bed  of  the  channels  has  prevented  the  development  of 
those  forms  of  life  upon  which  the  fish  depend  for  food. 
That  this  view  is  not  entirely  fanciful  the  reader  will 
readily  see  if  he  will  take  paper  and  pencil,  and  with 
such  data  as  he  may  have  at  hand  calculate  the  num- 
ber of  steamers  that  have  dumped  their  ashpans  in  the 
river  in  the  past  threescore  years.  A  million  tons 
would  fall  far  short  of  the  probable  deposit. 

The  restocking  of  the  waters  will  only  be  an  efficient 
remedy  in  places  where  the  fry  will  not  be  subject  to 
the  disadvantages  we  have  suggested  and  others  of 
equal  importance.  It  is  well  knowm  that  man}^  if  not 
all,  of  the  fish  that  frequent  the  Hudson,  or  any  large 
river,  run  into  the  smaller  streams  to  spawn.  The 
practical  closing  of  many  such  streams  by  means  of 
dams,  where  no  fish-ways  are  provided,  must  of  neces- 
sity militate  greatly  against  the  natural  increase. 


442 


The  Hudson  River 


Under  favoural)le  conditions  this  increase  would  be 
enormous.  A  single  female  tomcod,  for  instance,  will 
l)roduce  fift}^  thousand  eggs  or  more.  Two  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  thousand  such  eggs  would  just  fill  a 
quart  measure.  But  in  order  to  secure  the  develop- 
ment of  even  a  small  percentage  of  all  this  embryonic 
life  it  is  necessary  to  have  undisturbed,  fairly  pure,  and 
abundant  water. 

At  the  hatcheries  of  the  State  Commission  it  has 
been  found  that  the  shad  fry,  if  they  are  to  be  raised 
at  all,  must  never  be  handled  even  with  the  nets  that 
may  be  used  in  the  rearing  of  young  trout  or  salmon. 
The  ideal  pond  for  hatching  purposes  is  one  that  has 
been  dry  for  months,  so  that  all  life  in  it  is  destroyed, 
and  then  filled  by  seepage,  thus  excluding  enemies  that 
would  otherwise  destroy  the  adolescent  shadlings.  It 
will  be  readily  seen  that  the  natural  conditions  of  the 
Hudson  and  its  tributaries  at  the  present  day  are  not 
conducive  to  the  increase  of  delicate  fish. 


Chapter  XXVII 


Rondout  and  Kingston 

THE  name  Rondout  signifies  a  fort  or  earthwork; 
it  was  first  applied  to  the  Dutch  post  near 
Esopus  River,  and  afterwards  to  the  settled 
land  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  word  Esopus,  it  is 
said,  was  derived  from  seepus,  a  river,  and  was  first 
given  to  the  Indians  dwelling  upon  the  banks  of  the 
river  that  afterwards  bore  that  name.  The  Indians 
whose  settlements  extended  through  Ulster  and  Greene 
counties  belonged  to  the  Mingua  nation,  that  Leather- 
stocking  was  fond  of  referring  to  as  Mingos.  The 
Minnesinks,  one  of  the  largest  clans,  were  originally 
dwellers  on  a  minnis,  or  island,  in  the  upper  waters  of 
the  Delaware.  The  Mohegan  Indians  lived  upon  the 
upper  shore  of  the  Hudson.  Northward  of  Esopus,  on 
the  west  shore,  the  land  was  claimed  by  the  Mohawks, 
who  ruled  the  forests  as  far  north  as  Champlain  and 
through  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk  River.  They  were 
to  the  more  peaceable  tribes  of  the  south  as  a  hawk 
is  to  a  heron,  being  fierce,  revengeful,  and  cruel  almost 
beyond  conception.    Their  occasional  forays  into  the 

443 


444  The  Hudson  River 


lands  of  their  neighbours  were  events  to  be  antieijiated 
with  dread  and  remembered  with  horror. 

Hidden  under  a  modern  post-offiee  designation  we 
frec^uently  find  half  a  dozen  earher  ])laee-names,  as  the 
geologist  diseovers  in  a  river-bed  sueeessive  deposits. 
"I  am  surprised  to  find,"  said  a  gentleman  of  an  en- 
quiring mind,  "  that  Esopus  had  at  one  time  a  larger 
trade  than  Albany;  yet  I  do  not  find  Esopus  on  my 
ma])  or  on  the  time-table.  Where  was  it?"  Esopus 
has  disappeared  from  the  map,  as  have  Wiltwyek, 
iVtkarkarton,  and  Rondout,  but  all  these  old  names, 
that  are  folded  down  and  put  away,  like  old  garments 
in  camphor  and  lavender,  are  covered  by  the  corporate 
body  of  Kingston. 

Tw^o  hundred  and  fifty  years  of  eventful  history  be- 
long to  this  very  Dutch  borough,  where  Ten  Brocks  and 
Van  Gaasbeeks,  Schoonmakers  and  Swartwouts,  sat 
under  the  spiritual  ministrations  of  Domine  Blom,  or 
joined  with  that  excellent  and  valiant  divine  in  driving 
away  the  Indian  invaders  that  occasionally  swooped 
dow^n  on  the  almost  defenceless  settlement.  But  truth 
compels  the  admission  that  the  first  notable  proprietor 
of  land  at  Kingston  (or  Atkarkarton)  was  not  a  Dutch- 
man. This  is  on  the  authority  of  the  Rev.  I.  Mega- 
polensis,  the  third  stated  minister  of  the  Collegiate 
Dutch  Church  of  New  York,  who,  in  1657,  wrote: 

Thomas  Chambers  and  a  few  others  removed  to  Atkarkarton 
or  Esopus,  an  exceedingly  beautiful  land,  in  1652,  and  began  the 
actual  settlement  of  Ulster  County;  it  was  also  known  among 
the  savages  as  "  the  pleasant  land." 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


447 


This  Thomas  Chambers,  for  services  rendered  the 
country  during  Indian  troubles,  was  rewarded  in  the 
time  of  Governor  Lovelace  by  having  his  house  (near 
Kingston)  erected  into  the  Manor  of  Foxhall.  This 
grant  was  confirmed  by  Dongan  in  1686.  The  name 
of  Foxhall  subsequently  disappeared. 

The  Dutch  church  of  Kingston  had  a  settled  pastor 
as  early  as  1660,  in  which  year  Domine  Hermanns 
Blom  commenced  his  labours.  His  salary  was  payable 
in  wheat,  and  his  accounts  for  the  same  are  still  pre- 
served in  the  county  records.  The  name  Wiltwyck 
signified  the  Indian  (or  wild)  district,  yet  even  then 
the  little  church,  worshipping  in  a  rude  building  of 
logs,  had  a  membership  of  sixteen  souls.  Two  other 
edifices  succeeded  each  other  on  the  ground  where  the 
first  one  stood,  and  from  the  tower  of  the  last  the  Hol- 
land bell,  imported  in  1794  from  Amsterdam,  used 
formerly  to  ring  three  times  a  day  to  notify  the  good 
people  of  their  meal  hours.  In  those  far-off  days 
sober  and  respectable  people  did  things  in  an  orderly 
and  customary  way.  It  required  unheard-of  temerity 
to  break  away  from  the  honoured  traditions  of  a 
neighbourhood,  and  breakfast,  dine,  or  sup  at  unheard- 
of  hours.  The  church  sanctioned  the  established  order 
and  lent  its  bell  for  the  promotion  of  sobriety  and 
regular  habits.  A  writer  in  1826  notes  a  modern  in- 
novation when  he  says  that  ''at  present  the  town 
clock  regulates  the  kitchen." 

A  custom  observed  among  the  fathers  of  the  church 


448 


The  Hudson  River 


deserves  to  be  kept  in  remembrance,  like  a  quaint 
Dutch  picture.  Between  the  sounding  of  the  first  and 
last  bell  for  church  service  the  grey-haired  sexton 
hobbled  from  door  to  door,  carrying  an  ivory-headed 
cane,  with  which  he  rapped  loudly  three  times  and 
cried,  "Church  time!"  For  this  he  was  paid  by  each 
householder  a  yearly  fee  of  two  shillings. 

Notices  of  all  kinds,  whether  of  funerals,  weddings, 
or  christenings,  were  given  to  the  sexton,  who  took 
them  to  the  clerk ;  and  the  latter,  having  a  bamboo  rod 
with  a  split  end  kept  for  that  very  purpose,  stuck  the 
paper  in  the  slit  and  passed  it  up  to  the  domine,  who 
was  perched  overhead  in  a  half -globe  pulpit,  canopied 
by  a  sounding  board.  "  The  minister  wore  (out  of  the 
pulpit)  a  black  silk  mantle,  cocked  hat,  and  a  neck- 
band with  linen  cambrick  beffy  on  his  breast;  for 
cravats  were  then  tmcanonical.'' 

The  first  psalm,  we  are  informed,  ''used  to  be  set 
with  moveable  figures,  suspended  on  three  sides  of  the 
pulpit,  so  that  all,  as  they  entered,  might  prepare  for 
the  lofty  notes. "  At  the  end  of  the  service  the  deacons 
took  the  contribution  bags,  which  were  fixed  on  the 
ends  of  poles,  and  made  their  rounds  to  collect  the 
coppers  of  the  congregation.  It  is  a  significant  fact 
that  besides  the  bag  there  was  an  alarm  bell  on  the 
end  of  each  pole,  as  though  to  notify  the  soundest 
sleepers  that  the  sermon  had  come  to  an  end.  Tokens, 
stamped  b}^  the  church  and  redeemable  at  stated  times, 
were  received  instead  of  money,  which  w^as  a  scarce 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


449 


commodity  at  a  time  when  the  government  still  legal- 
ised the  payment  of  "seawant"  or  wampum  for  debts. 
At  the  communion  table  church  members  always  wore 
black,  and  invariably  stood  to  receive  the  sacrament. 

The  Kingston  church  is  particularly  worthy  of  notice 
from  the  fact  that  it  occupied  a  unique  position,  being 
an  independent  church  as  late  as  1808.  For  a  century 
and  a  half  it  had  rejected  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Gen- 
eral Synod  of  the  Dutch  Church  in  America.  The 
ministers  had  been  called  from  Europe,  and  an  indi- 
vidual charter  was  granted  in  17 19  by  the  British 
Crown. 

Besides  these  Dutch  and  Huguenot  settlers,  it  is  said 
that  a  few  Irish  found  their  way  into  Kingston  at  an 
early  day;  however  that  may  be,  we  know  that  not  the 
least  energetic  and  successful  of  her  citizens  to-day 
may  boast  of  forbears  that  may  have  hung  their 
shields  in  Tara  s  halls. 

In  Dr.  Miller  s  History  of  New  York,  published  in 
London  in  1695,  there  were  showm  the  plans  of  three 
places  on  the  Hudson  River.  New  Amsterdam  was 
the  first  of  these  in  importance ;  Albany  (Fort  Orange) , 
the  second;  and  Kingston,  third.  This  same  order  is 
preserved  to-day.  It  is  a  fact  to  remember  that,  in 
expressing  her  choice  for  a  site  for  the  national  capital, 
New  York  voted  in  favour  of  Kingston. 

Ulster  County,  formed  in  1683,  lay  between  Moodna 
or  Murderer's  Creek  on  the  south,  and  Sawyer's,  the 
line  dividing  from  Greene  County,  on  the  north.  It 


450 


The  Hudson  River 


borders  the  west  bank  of  the  river  and  embraced  at 
that  time  all  of  the  important  settlements  between  the 
Highlands  and  vSaugerties.  The  trading  post  of  Ron- 
dout,  one  of  the  very  earliest  to  be  established,  ante- 
dated the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  at  Plymouth 
by  six  years.  The  Indian  name,  Ponckhockie,  is  still 
retained  to  designate  a  section  of  the  town. 

The  Rondout  and  Esopus  settlers  were  driven  away 
by  the  Indians  prior  to  1640,  about  which  time  a  new^ 
attempt  to  colonise  was  made.  In  1655,  there  was 
another  exodus  of  the  whites,  and  then  Governor 
Stuy vesant  came  in  person  from  New  York  and  staked 
out  ground  for  a  new  village,  leaving  twenty-four  sol- 
diers to  protect  the  place.  The  land  chosen  was  a  free 
gift  from  the  Indians  to  the  ''Grand  Sachem  .  .  . 
to  grease  his  feet,  as  he  had  undertaken  so  long  and 
painful  a  journey." 

New  Indian  troubles  arose,  owing  to  a  supply  of 
fire-water  that  some  red  men  received  in  payment  for 
husking  corn  for  the  before-mentioned  Thomas  Cham- 
bers in  1659.  One  of  the  recipients,  during  the  revel 
which  followed,  fired  a  gun.  A  party  of  white  men, 
who  were  possibly  not  too  sober  themselves,  construed 
the  discharge  of  the  firearm  to  mean  the  commence- 
ment of  an  attack,  upon  which  they  fired  upon  a  party 
of  the  Indians,  killing  several  of  them«  In  retaliation 
the  lately  peaceable  redskins  took  thirteen  prisoners, 
and,  soon  gathering  a  force  of  five  hundred  warriors, 
surrounded  the  fort,  so  that  no  one  durst  leave  it  for 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


45  ^ 


three  weeks.  Crops  were  burned,  cattle  slaughtered, 
and  houses  destroyed.  Finally,  a  number  of  captives 
were  put  to  death  by  torture.  This  brought  the  Gov- 
ernor again  to  Kingston,  but  the  Indians  dispersed 
before  his  arrival.  A  truce  was  secured,  through  the 
intervention  of  other  Indians,  and  two  prisoners  were 
finally  restored. 

Then,  possessed  by  a  fatuous  confidence  that  the 
enemy  had  experienced  a  change  of  heart,  the  people 
of  Wiltwyck  (Kingston)  "left  the  gates  of  their  fort 
open  day  and  night."  In  the  summer  of  1663,  they 
paid  dearly  for  their  temerity.  In  June  of  that  year, 
having  come  to  the  fort  in  great  numbers,  under  pre- 
tence of  trading,  the  Indians  made  a  sudden  attack 
while  most  of  the  men  were  outside  of  the  walls. 
Thomas  Chambers,  whose  foolish  bestowal  of  brandy 
had  brought  on  the  original  trouble,  aided  by  the  mili- 
tant valour  of  the  Dutch  domine,  led  his  companions 
in  such  a  desperate  fight  that  they  succeeded  in  driv- 
ing the  invaders  from  the  fort,  but  not  before  eighteen 
of  the  whites  had  been  killed.  Forty-two  prisoners 
were  carried  away  by  the  savages,  and  all  of  the  newly 
established  farms  and  bouweries  were  destroyed. 

This  foray  led  to  a  war  which  did  not  end  till  the 
Ulster  Indians  were  nearly  destroyed.  The  expedi- 
tion which  concluded  the  war  was  led  by  a  man  named 
Krygier,  a  burgomaster  in  New  Amsterdam.  A  treaty 
was  made  by  Stuyvesant  with  the  remnant  of  the 
tribe,  by  the  terms  of  which  they  abandoned  the  river 


452 


The  HikIsoii  River 


settlements  to  the  Dutch,  retaining  permission  to  trade 
at  Rondout  "  provided  but  three  canoes  came  at  a 
time,  preceded  by  a  flag  of  truce." 

Xew  Paltz  was  settled  by  the  Huguenots  in  1677. 
Some  people  of  this  faith  had  come  to  Kingston  in 
1660  and  settled  there.  Among  them  was  a  man 
named  Louis  Dubois,  whose  wife,  Catherine,  had  been 
one  of  those  captured  by  the  savages.  Word  came  to 
Dubois  by  a  friendly  Indian  that  the  prisoners  had 
been  taken  to  a  certain  place  that  he  could  guide  the 
white  men  to.  He  directed  them  to  follow  Rondout 
Creek  to  the  Wall  kill  and  to  leave  that  for  a  third 
stream,  w^here  the  encampment  of  their  enemies  would 
be  fotuid.  The  statement  that  the  Indians  intended 
putting  their  prisoners  to  death  urged  the  rescuers  to 
greater  haste  if  possible.  Dubois  and  his  companions, 
guided  by  the  savage,  pushed  through  the  wilderness 
for  a  distance  of  twenty-six  miles,  and  though  they 
were  burdened  with  the  heavy  arms  of  the  period, 
besides  knapsacks  and  provisions,  we  do  not  read  that 
they  paused  till  they  were  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
encampment. 

While  they  were  stealing  up,  making  a  reconnoissance 
previous  to  the  attack,  Dubois  suddenly  came  across 
an  Indian,  who  was  slain  by  his  sword  before  he  could 
alarm  his  companions.  The  attack  was  delayed  until 
evening,  but  the  dogs,  running  at  large,  betrayed  them. 
The  Indians  recognised  them  as  ''white  man's  dogs," 
and  fled  in  consternation,  having  evidently  had  enough 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


453 


of  Wiltwyck  fighting  qualities.  Dubois  saw  his  wife 
fleeing  along  with  the  savages  and  lustily  shouted  her 


RIVKR  SCENE  —  CATSKILL 
{y.  ^F.  CasiVear,  1S59.    From  the  Stuart  Collectiofi^  Lenox  Library) 


name,  whereupon  she  and  her  companions  turned  back 
and  were  welcomed  with  great  joy  by  their  rescuers. 

The  discovery  had  been  made  none  too  soon.  Cath- 
erine Dubois  had  already  been  placed  on  a  funeral 
pyre  of  wood,  preparatory  to  being  burned,  and  had 


454 


The  Hudson  River 


evidenced  her  Christian  fortitude  by  singing  hymns 
that  pleased  her  ca])tors  so  that  they  demanded  a 
repetition  of  them.  It  was  no  new  thing  for  them  to 
hear  a  warrior  sing  his  death-song  in  the  face  of  his 
enemies,  but  for  a  woman  to  show  such  courage  may 
have  excited  their  admiration,  and  the  strange  sweet- 
ness of  the  unusual  melodies  she  sang  no  doubt  arrested 
their  attention. 

It  was  the  knowledge  gained  upon  this  expedition, 
so  the  story  goes,  that  led  the  Huguenots  to  settle  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Wallkill,  for  which  they  obtained  a 
deed  from  the  Indians  in  consideration  of  forty  kettles, 
the  same  number  of  adzes  and  shirts,  seven  hundred 
strings  of  beads,  four  quarter-casks  of  wine,  and  other 
goods.  This  tract,  twelve  miles  in  extent,  reached 
from  the  Hudson  River  back  to  the  Shawangunk 
Moimtains. 

There  is  an  interesting  tradition  to  the  effect  that 
the  hymn  sang  by  Mrs.  Dubois  on  the  occasion  just 
mentioned  was  the  137th  in  the  Dutch  collection,  which 
is  translated  thus: 

By  Babel's  stream  the  captives  sate 
And  wept  for  Zion's  hapless  fate; 
Useless  their  harps  on  willows  hung 
While  foes  required  a  sacred  song. 

The  village  of  New  Paltz  is  a  delightful  reminiscence, 
a  legacy  of  old  habitations  and  simple  customs,  be- 
queathed by  generations  of  God-fearing  folk  to  our 
restless  time  as  a  salutary  reminder  of  pristine  peace 


Rondout  and  Kingston  455 


and  contentment.  But  about  the  old  Huguenot  vil- 
lage, especially  since  the  establishment  of  the  State 
Nomal  School,  there  has  grown  a  modern  town,  with 
modern  houses  and  modern  ways. 

We  admire  the  sagacity  of  the  French  exiles  who 
discovered  and  appreciated  the  rare  desirability  of  the 
Wallkill  valley.  It  is  still  a  region  of  dairy  farms  and 
vineyards — a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  a  land 
of  corn  and  wine.  Old  Louis  Dubois  and  his  com- 
patriots were  the  fathers  of  a  race  that  still  retain  many 
of  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  exiles  who 
for  conscience '  sake  sought  in  the  wilderness  their  pro- 
mised land  of  liberty.  It  is  said  that  so  fine  and  free 
from  animosity  and  greed  has  been  the  life  of  the 
people  of  New  Paltz  that  previous  to  1873  lawyer 
ever  found  a  permanent  residence  there. 

Johannes  Nevius  and  others,  in  a  report  to  the 
States-General  in  1663,  spoke  feelingly  of 

the  deplorable  massacre  and  slaughter  of  the  good  people  of  the 
beautiful  and  fruitful  country  of  Esopus,  recently  committed  by 
the  barbarians  after  the  premature  and,  for  this  state,  in  this 
conjuncture  of  time,  wholly  unpractical  reduction  of  the  mili- 
tary force  of  this  province,  which  was  notoriously  and  very  ur- 
gently required  to  be  completed  and  reinforced. 

Among  the  stories  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ulster 
County  are  many  harrowing  ones  of  captivity,  with  an 
occasional  thrilling  account  of  escape  or  rescue,  but  in 
general  there  is  a  dreadful  sameness  in  the  details. 
Now  it  is  a  Dutch  family,  now  a  Huguenot  one — 


456 


The  Hudson  River 


Lefever,  Dubois,  Schoonmaker,  Osterhout,  from  Wilt- 
wyck  or  from  Murderer's  Creek,  or  the  settlements  that 
kiA'  between.  Down  to  the  time  of  the  Revolution  the 
out-settlements  of  this  region  were  mueh  exposed  to 
Indian  attaek.  According  to  one  of  the  numerous 
local  legends  of  Ulster  County,  two  men,  Andresen  and 
Osterhout,  w^ere  taken  by  the  Indians,  but  when  within 
a  single  day's  march  of  Niagara  i\ndresen  managed  at 
night  to  work  one  of  his  arms  free  and  subsequently 
removed  his  bonds.  Then,  with  necessary  stealthiness 
and  caution,  he  succeeded  in  freeing  his  companion, 
and  falling  upon  the  sleeping  Indians  they  killed  all 
except  two  squaws,  who  escaped.  Providing  them- 
selves with  the  arms  and  provisions  of  their  late  capt- 
ors, they  undertook  the  return  journey  of  four  or  five 
hundred  miles  through  the  woods.  Their  lives  were 
barely  saved  b}^  the  game  they  managed  to  shoot  on 
the  way,  for  weakened  by  hunger  as  well  as  by  fatigue, 
at  the  end  of  seventeen  days  they  staggered  into  their 
homes,  weak  but  rejoicing  at  their  almost  miraculous 
escape.    This  occurred  in  1776. 

The  inauguration  of  George  Clinton,  the  first  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State  of  New  York,  was  proclaimed  at 
Kingston,  then  the  capital  of  the  State,  the  election 
having  taken  place  on  the  30th  of  July,  1777.  Only 
a  little  more  than  two  months  previous  to  that  event, 
the  convention  which  had  drafted  the  constitution  of 
the  new  State,  adjourned,  leaving  power  in  the  hands 
of  a  Committee  of  Safety.    The  Fourth  Provincial  Con- 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


457 


gress,  which  met  at  White  Plains,  Westchester  County, 
on  the  9th  of  July,  1776,  then  accepting  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  adjourned  to  Fishkill  and  sub- 
sequently to  Kingston.  The  centennial  celebration  of 
Clinton  s  inauguration,  held  on  July  30,  1877,  at  King- 
ston, was  necessarily  a  celebration  also  of  the  vener- 
able house  in  which  the  deliberations  of  John  Jay  and 
his  associates  had  been  held.  The  previous  year,  1876, 
had  been  the  bi-centennial  anniversary  of  the  building 
of  what  has  been  known  modernly  as  the  Old  vSenate 
House.  This  building,  that  has  so  deep  an  historic 
interest,  is  long  and  low,  constructed  of  stone  and  sup- 
plemented at  a  late  period  of  its  history  by  a  "linto," 
or  lean-to.  It  was  erected  in  1676  by  Wessel  Ten 
Broeck,  a  Westphalian,  who,  emigrating  to  i\merica  at 
an  early  age,  was  elected  S  chop  per  at  Esopus  and  was 
a  commissioner  chosen  to  suj^erintend  the  settlement 
of  the  Nieuw  Dorp,  including  the  villages  of  Hurley 
and  Marbletown. 

Ten  Broeck  s  wife  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Laur- 
entius  \^an  Gaasbeek,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children, 
who  are  supposed  to  be  the  ancestors  of  all  the  Ten 
Broecks  in  the  country.  The  well-kno\Mi  Knicker- 
bocker explanation  of  the  deri\'ation  of  the  name  of 
Ten  Broeck  was  not  relished  by  the  descendants  of  that 
forceful  ancestor. 

Wessel's  wife's  name  would  make  a  telling  title  for 
a  Dutch  story  or  poem.  Jacomyntie — how  it  suggests 
flax-white  hair  neatly  quoiffed  under  a  muslin  cap,  a 


458 


The  Hudson  River 


wcll-filled,  trim  stomacher  laced  to  the  top,  quilted 
])ettieoats  with  a  neat  vision  of  blue  or  red  yarn  stock- 
ings showing  between  it  and  the  polished  shoe-buckles. 
We  seem  to  know  that  as  Jacomyntie  Ten  Broeck  stood 
in  the  doorway  of  that  goodly  stone  house,  there  was 
in  her  round  and  pleasant  face  a  consciousness  of  well- 
stocked  larders  and  fruitful  orchards,  of  cream  in  the 
dairy  and  butter  in  the  crocks,  and  oily  koeks  on  the 
ample  shelves  of  the  pantry. 

At  a  later  day  the  old  house,  then  one  hundred  and 
one  years  old,  sheltered  a  notable  company.  There 
Robert  R.  Livingston,  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  Gou- 
verneur  Morris,  Colonel  De  Witt,  Gansevoort,  Scott, 
Ten  Broeck,  and  others  met  to  deliberate  about  the 
form  of  government  to  be  adopted  by  New  York  State. 
There  John  Jay  presented  the  draft  of  the  constitution 
that  was  afterwards  adopted  at  the  old  Bogardus  Inn, 
at  the  corner  of  Maiden  Lane  and  Fair  Street  in  New 
York  City. 

We  quote  from  an  article  by  Miss  Margaret  Win- 
slow,  published  in  the  New  York  Observer  in  1883: 

Here,  from  time  to  time,  have  come  the  great  men  whom 
Kingston  has  either  received  or  sent  forth  into  pubhc  hfe.  Here 
General  Armstrong,  the  boy  hero  of  the  Revolution,  father-in- 
law  of  William  B.  Astor  and  ex-Secretary  of  War,  lived  in  1804, 
previous  to  his  departure  as  Minister  to  the  French  Court,  leav- 
ing a  small  marble  fireplace,  the  first  ever  seen  in  Kingston,  as 
a  memorial  of  his  residence;  and  here,  last  spring,  General 
Arthur,  the  Republican  candidate  for  Vice-President,  bowed  his 
tall  head  to  escape  collision  with  the  time-honoured  and  smoke- 
begrimed  rafters;  and  here  we — the  honoured  Drs.  Van  Sant- 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


459 


voord  and  Hoes,  with  the  host  and  the  writer — sat  and  discussed 
the  history  of  Kingston;  its  first  and  second  Indian  wars,  1659 
and  1 66 1,  and  the  burning  of  the  fort,  1663  ;  Stuyvesant's  treaty 
of  peace,  1661,  at  which  period  the  wily  savages  ceded  him 
the  land  on  which  the  city  now  stands,  "to  grease  his  feet"  in 
return  for  the  compliment  of  his  visit,  on  which  occasion  the 
renowned  warrior  changed  the  Dutch  name  of  Esopus,  or  Groote 
Esopus,  variously  stated  to  be  derived  from  the  Latin  fabulist 
and  from  a  soft  place,  to  Wiltwyck,  or  Wild  man's  village.  The 
Dutch  regained  the  town  after  its  capture  along  with  the  Swedish 
possessions  east  of  the  Hudson  in  1664,  holding  it,  however,  only 
for  a  very  short  time,  as  said  one  of  my  informants,  adding 
thereto  much  of  the  intermediate  history  till  its  consolidation 
with  Rondout  and  Wilbur  into  a  city  in  1872,  and  the  building 
of  the  splendid  new  City  Hall  and  Armory,  the  latter  only  just 
completed. 

There  are  many  other  buildings  and  several  localities  of  special 
interest  to  those  who  love  the  mild  antiquities  of  our  brand-new 
country — the  Academy,  founded  in  1774,  in  which  De  Witt  Clin- 
ton and  Thomas  De  Witt,  Edward  Livingston,  Stephen  Van  Rens- 
selaer, and  Abram  Van  Vechten  received  their  early  education; 
the  stone  Court  House,  built  in  181 8  upon  the  site  of  a  much 
older  one;  and  the  First  Dutch  Church,  organised  August,  1659, 
by  Rev.  Harmanus  Blom,  sent  from  Holland  as  a  candidate,  and 
ordained  by  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  1660.  The  fac-similes  of 
signatures  of  the  fifteen  successors  of  Blom,  carefully  gathered 
by  the  venerable  Dr.  Hoes,  and  shown  me  at  the  close  of  our 
pleasant  evening  conversation,  are  sufficient  guarantee  that,  from 
the  first,  Esopus — Wiltwyck — Kingston  has  been  in  the  care  of 
that  blessed  people  "whose  God  is  the  Lord." 

William  Beekman,  from  whom  have  spmng  all  who 
bear  that  respected  name  in  the  annals  of  New  York, 
was  Sheriff  of  Kingston  up  to  the  departure  of  Gov- 
ernor Lovelace  from  the  colony,  when  he  returned  to 
New  York.  His  son  Henry  lived  in  Kingston,  where 
he  became  Judge  of  Ulster  County  and  a  member  of 


46o 


The  Hudson  River 


the  Provincial  Legislature.  His  daughter  was  the  wife 
of  Robert  R.  Li\'ingston,  and  the  mother  of  the  distin- 
guished ehaneellor  of  that  name,  as  well  as  of  Janet, 
the  wife  of  General  Montgomery.  The  old  Senate 
House  was  at  one  time  occupied  by  Chancellor  Living- 
ston and  by  General  Armstrong,  the  "boy  hero  of  the 
Revolution,"  who  was  afterwards  United  States  Sena- 
tor and  Secretary  of  War. 

Governor  Clinton  married  Cornelia  Tappen  of  King- 
ston, and  their  son  was  educated  there.  John  Jay  sat 
as  the  first  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  of  New  York  during  the  first  term  of  that  court 
at  Kingston.  Colonel  Johannes  Hardenbergh,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Colonial  Assembly,  was  a  familiar  character 
in  Kingston,  and  on  one  occasion  entertained  Mrs. 
Washington,  with  Governor  and  Mrs.  Clinton,  at  his 
home  in  Rosendale.  He  was  a  descendant  of  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  great  Hardenbergh  Patent.  The  list  of 
well-known  men  who  have  been  associated  with  the 
history  of  this  old  town  is  a  long  and  honourable  one. 

Memorable  in  the  annals  of  the  Hudson,  the  de- 
struction of  Kingston  by  fire  occurred  in  the  eventful 
year  1777.  It  was  after  the  reduction  of  Forts  Mont- 
gomery and  Clinton,  or  the  one  occasion  upon  which 
the  British  forces  penetrated  the  gateway  of  the  High- 
lands into  the  upper  river.  The  cheveau-de-frise  and 
other  obstructions  had  been  removed,  the  American 
shipping  had  gone  up  in  a  magnificent  conflagration, 
and  the  way  seemed  at  last  open  for  the  ships  and  sol- 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


461 


diers  of  George  III.  to  take  possession  of  the  region 
above  West  Point,  either  to  create  a  diversion  in  favour 
of  Burgoyne,  then  face  to  face  with  Gates  near  Sara- 
toga, or  to  co-operate  with  him  according  to  agreement. 

Sir  Henry  Chnton  did  not  proceed  in  person  with  the 
expedition  up  the  river,  but  left  the  command  to  Gen- 
eral Vaughan  and  Sir  James  Wallace,  who  were  ac- 
companied by  a  considerable  number  of  troops,  with 
a  squadron  of  the  lighter  vessels  of  war. 

Putnam,  near  Fishkill,  whither  he  had  retreated, 
concerted  immediately  with  Governor  Clinton,  who  had 
escaped  to  New  Windsor,  to  move  northward  with 
their  hastily  assembled  forces  to  intercept  and  c^heck 
the  advance  of  the  enemy.  There  is  an  admirable 
ring  of  courage  in  the  note  written  at  this  time  to  the 
Council  of  Safety  by  Clinton:  "  I  am  persuaded,  if  the 
militia  will  join  me,  we  can  save  the  country  from 
destruction  and  defeat  the  enemy's  design  of  assisting 
the  northern  army." 

A  new  and  definite  evidence  of  this  design  had  been 
strangely  received  by  the  Governor  about  the  time  of 
the  penning  of  those  words.  The  arrest  of  two  per- 
sons coming  from  the  direction  of  Fort  Montgomery 
led  to  important  developments.  One  of  the  twain, 
seeming  to  swallow  something,  w^as  given  an  emetic, 
upon  which  a  silver  bullet  was  produced,  but,  being 
more  nimble  than  his  captors,  he  succeeded  in  dispos- 
ing of  the  morsel  again  in  the  same  manner  as  before. 
He  refused  so  energetically  to  be  dosed  a  second  time 


462 


rhe  Hudson  River 


that  the  Governor  threatened  to  have  him  hanged  and 
his  body  cut  open.  He  then  yielded,  and  the  bullet, 
again  delivered,  was  found  to  enclose  a  paper  bearing 
a  note  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  General  Burgoyne: 
''Here  we  are  (Fort  Montgomery — Oct.  8th)  and  no- 
thing between  us  and  Gates.  I  sincerely  hope  this  little 
success  of  ours  will  facilitate  your  operations."  The 
resolute  postman  did  not  escape  the  penalty  of  his  mis- 
sion ;  he  was  tried  as  a  spy  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged. 

The  Governor  pressed  forward  with  what  force  he 
could  hastily  get  together  to  protect  Kingston  if  pos- 
sible, as  that  was  then  the  seat  of  the  State  Legislature. 
He  saw  here  and  there  at  villages  and  hamlets,  and 
even  single  residences  on  the  river  shore,  marauding 
parties  of  British  at  work,  their  motions  being  marked 
by  flames  and  depredation,  but  he  could  not  move 
rapidly  enough  to  intercept  them. 

When  General  Vaughan  and  his  force  landed  from 
their  vessels,  a  little  body  of  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
militia  opposed  them  at  Kingston,  but  these  valiant 
defenders  were  soon  overcome  and  put  to  flight.  The 
invaders  then  marched  to  the  village,  whence  the  people 
and  officials  had  for  the  most  part  fled  at  their  ap- 
proach, and  set  fire  to  it  at  a  number  of  points,  having 
sacked  it.  A  great  quantity  of  stores  collected  there 
and  nearly  all  of  the  principal  dwellings  and  public 
buildings  were  consumed. 

An  entertaining  story  is  told  by  Lossing  of  the 
fright  of  some  Dutchmen  who  were  working  in  the 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


463 


flats  near  Rondout  and  did  not  know  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  British  till  one  of  Vaughan's  two  attack- 
ing columns  was  actually  upon  them.  They  fled  for 
their  lives  across  the  shallow  water  and  into  the  fields 
on  the  other  side,  whence  the  labourers  had  very  re- 
cently made  their  escape,  leaving  their  farming  imple- 
ments on  the  ground.  One  of  the  Dutchmen,  in 
running  blindly  forw^ard,  stepped  upon  the  teeth  of  a 
rake,  whereupon,  according  to  the  time-honoured  cus- 
tom of  rakes  when  their  teeth  are  stepped  on,  the 
handle  sprang  up  and  rapped  him  on  the  head.  That 
was  too  much  for  overwrought  nerves.  Thinking  that 
the  enemy  had  overtaken  him,  the  fugitive  fell  upon 
his  knees,  shouting,  "  I  gifs  up — I  gifs  up!  Hurrah  for 
King  Shorge ! ' ' 

According  to  an  estimate  made  by  Sharpe,  there 
stood  in  Kingston,  after  the  conflagration,  the  stone 
walls  of  above  forty  of  the  strongly  built  Dutch  houses, 
though  the  woodwork  was  entirely  consumed.  Among 
this  number  was  the  old  Senate  House,  the  roof  and 
interior  of  w^hich  were  absolutely  destroyed,  though  the 
walls  were  uninjured.  In  common  w^ith  several  other 
fire- washed  shells  of  the  same  class,  it  was  afterwards 
repaired  and  occupied.  The  Hasbrouck  mansion  was 
similarly  preserved,  as  were  also  the  old  academy 
building,  the  Schoonmaker  mansion,  and  the  Beekman 
house. 

It  has  been  stated  that  Vaughan  with  great  reluct- 
ance gave  the  order  to  burn  the  church  deciding  to  do 


464 


The  Hudson  River 


it  only  as  a  matter  of  military  duty.  Whether  this 
is  or  is  not  true,  there  is  no  doubt  that  to  most  Ameri- 
cans the  burning  of  Kingston  has  always  seemed  a 
wanton  act  of  barbarity  on  the  ])art  of  trooi)s  flushed 
with  recent  victory  and  unrestrained  by  authority. 
The  smoke  and  flame  spread  consternation  among  the 
inhabitants  of  other  villages,  and  fugitives  from  the 
destroyed  town  sought  asylum  among  the  hills  and  in 
remote  places.  The  spectacle  of  Kingston  burning 
must  have  moved  with  rage  and  pity  the  stout  hearts 
of  Putnam  and  Clinton,  on  opposite  sides  of  the  river, 
witnesses  to  a  calamity  they  were  powerless  to  avert. 

Clinton  had  used  the  utmost  dispatch,  but  was  two 
hours  too  late  to  interpose  an  effort  to  save  the  town. 
It  is  recorded  that  he  had  the  spy,  he  of  the  silver 
bullet,  brought  forward  and  hanged  to  the  limb  of  an 
apple  tree  in  sight  of  Kingston,  an  act  which  we  can 
hardly  conceiA^e  to  have  afforded  any  satisfaction  to 
one  of  his  disposition  and  character. 

At  Rhinebeck,  Tivoli,  and  elsewhere  the  destruction 
was  repeated  on  a  smaller  scale.  Here  a  mansion  and 
there  a  barn  or  a  hay-rick  added  a  flame  to  the  general 
conflagration.  The  intention  of  the  enemy  was  evi- 
dently to  advance  to  Albany,  which  seemed  doomed 
to  share  the  fate  of  Kingston,  and  there  to  effect  that 
conjunction  with  Burgoyne  which  was  the  object  of  the 
expedition. 

But  Burgoyne  w^as  in  no  condition  to  co-operate  with 
any  army.   The  diversion  had  come  too  late.  Almost 


Rondout  and  Kingston  465 


simultaneously  with  the  movements  of  Clinton  and  his 
subordinates  on  the  Hudson,  the  forces  of  Burgoyne 
and  Gates  were  in  mortal  conflict,  and  the  decisive 
victory  of  the  latter  put  a  sudden  end  to  Vaughan's 
advance.    The  State  Legislature,  in  session  at  Kings- 

1 


RIVER  SCENE  NEAR  KINGSTON 
{Froj/:  a  drawing  by  the  author^ 

ton  when  the  British  approached,  hastily  dispersed, 
to  reassemble  afterwards  at  xA^lbany. 

Kingston,  the  modern  town,  was  incorporated  in  the 
year  1805.  Its  growth  at  first  was  slow.  From  the 
third  place  on  the  river  in  point  of  population,  it  had 
been  struck  down  at  a  blow,  its  trade  ruined,  its  build- 
ings destroyed,  its  prestige  gone.  To  recover  from 
such  a  crushing  injury  it  was  necessary  that  it  should 

possess  or  develop  some  signal  superiority  in  natural 
30 


466 


The  Hudson  River 


or  artificial  facilities  for  manufacture,  agriculture,  or 
trade.  There  were,  unchanged,  the  same  natural  ad- 
vantages of  situation  that  had,  in  the  earlier  years  of 
its  settlement,  made  it  more  desirable  than  neighbour- 
ing villages.  The  deep  mouth  of  the  creek,  sheltered 
yet  accessible,  furnished  one  of  the  most  convenient 
harbours  for  the  river  boats,  and  the  fertile  and  pleas- 
ant lands  were  inviting  to  the  farmer.  But  farmers 
do  not  make  villages,  and  facilities  for  the  landing  of 
boats  do  not  make  trade.  The  Indian  traffic  in  pelt- 
ries, which  in  the  first  century  of  its  growth  had  been 
so  important  an  item  of  its  commercial  life,  naturally 
flowed  from  the  interior  with  the  stream.  Then,  too, 
in  a  primitive  age,  the  course  of  a  river  is  the  course 
of  a  highway.  Men  followed  the  water  from  point  to 
point  rather  than  traverse  unbroken  wilderness,  so  that 
the  first  roads  were  surveyed  by  the  hand  that  laid  the 
beds  of  the  water-courses.  Between  New  York  and 
Albany  there  were  but  two  or  three  tributary  streams 
that  were  of  such  size  or  were  the  natural  outlets  of  so 
desirable  a  country  as  that  which  flow^ed  by  Wiltwyck. 
The  benefit  derived  from  this  position  was  not  abated 
till  Kingston's  position  was  an  assured  one,  when  it  con- 
tinued naturally  to  hold  its  place  as  a  distributing  and 
shipping  centre,  even  after  the  Indian  trade  had  died 
away  and  other  highways  had  subtracted  much  from 
the  original  importance  of  the  creek. 

When  Kingston  tried  to  rise  from  her  own  ashes  the 
conditions  were  all  changed.    Thirty-five  years  after 


Rondout  and  Kingston 


467 


its  incor]:)oration  and  sixty- three  after  the  great  fire, 
the  total  population  of  Kingston  and  Rondout  to- 
gether did  not  much  exceed  fifty-five  hundred  souls. 
In  the  succeeding  thirty  years,  however,  the  popula- 
tion had  increased  fourfold,  while  the  population  of 
Ulster  County  in  the  same  period  had  doubled.  This 
increase  was  in  part  due  to  the  development  of  cer- 
tain industries,  particularly  the  trade  in  bluestone  and 
flagging,  which  amounts  to  millions  of  dollars  every 
year.  The  terminus  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson 
Canal,  the  city  finds  itself  again  possessed  of  the  unique 
advantages  that  the  creek  presented  at  an  earlier  and 
more  primitive  stage  of  its  history.  Coal,  lime,  ce- 
ment, stone  and  gravel,  and  agricultural  products  now 
make  the  business  of  its  wharves  and  warehouses, 
where  formerly  the  skins  of  bear  and  beaver  and  the 
product  of  scattered  mills  formed  the  staples  of  trade. 
The  shipments  of  old  may  have  been  calculated  by 
thousands  of  pounds  annually;  those  of  to-day  are 
estimated  at  millions  of  tons.  The  hills  that  face  Ron- 
dout Creek  are  honeycombed  with  galleries  from  which 
cement  is  obtained.  The  quarries  for  bluestone  and 
flagging  extend  for  nearly  ninety  miles  through  the 
region  of  cotmtry  for  which  the  canal  furnishes  the 
outlet.  Besides  this,  several  railroads  either  touch  at 
this  place  or  make  it  a  terminal  station,  and  a  fleet  of 
steamboats  equal  in  number  to  a  combination  of  all 
others  that  ply  upon  the  upper  river  gi\'e  the  front  of 
the  city  a  metropolitan  aspect.    Of  course,  on  the 


468 


The  Hudson  River 


principle  that  nothing  succeeds  hke  success,  the  growth 
of  population  and  of  business  due  to  foundries  and 
machine  shops  has  been  considerable. 

Commercial  Kingston  has  nearly  swallowed  the 
quaint,  historic  town  that  used  to  sit  comfortably  on 
the  site  of  old  Wiltwyck.  Gradually  it  has  absorbed 
its  neighbours,  Rondout  being  the  last  to  be  digested. 
There  is  a  ferry  from  Rhinebeck  on  the  east  shore  of 
the  river.  The  city  has  twenty-four  churches,  several 
daily  newspapers,  four  national  banks,  and  excellent 
schools  and  seminaries.  Altogether,  it  is  phenomen- 
ally active  for  a  Hudson  River  town. 

In  going  forward  from  older  times  to  more  modern 
days,  we  have  been  obliged  to  omit  mention  of  many 
people  and  events.  But  one  name  tempts  a  return  for 
one  brief  paragraph.  John  Vanderlyn,  the  celebrated 
painter,  was  born  in  Kingston  late  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  He  was  first  apprenticed  to  a  waggon-painter, 
and  the  genius  that  was  in  him  developed  in  spite  of 
this  prosaic  occupation.  For  several  years  he  struggled 
to  reconcile  his  vocation  with  his  avocation,  to  possess 
his  soul  while  laying  smooth  panels  of  coach  varnish 
and  striping  wheels.  At  length  one  day  that  meddler 
with  many  fortunes.  Colonel  Aaron  Burr,  strayed  into 
the  Kingston  tavern,  and  while  waiting  there  saw  some 
of  Vanderlyn 's  work.  He  called  for  the  artist,  and  the 
result  of  that  interview  was  that  the  young  man  ceased 
to  paint  waggons  and  went  to  Europe  to  learn  to  paint 
pictures.    In  1808,  at  the  Louvre,  he  received  a  gold 


Rondout  and  Kingston  4^9 


medal  offered  by  Napoleon  for  the  best  composition  of 
the  year.  His  subject  was  Marius  on  the  Ruins  of 
Carthage.  Nearly  forty  years  later  he  painted  the 
Landing  of  Columbus,  which  is  in  the  Capitol  at  Wash- 
ington, but  even  then  his  power  had  begun  to  decline, 
and  the  w^ork  is  considered  quite  inferior  to  some  of  his 
earlier  productions. 

Eight  years  later  the  painter  died  in  poverty  in 
Kingston,  and  his  remains  were  laid  in  the  old  Wilt- 
wyck  cemetery. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  Huguenots  who 
founded  New  Paltz.  At  first  their  national  language 
and  form  of  worship  distinguished  them  from  their 
Dutch  neighbours,  but  gradually,  in  the  course  of  sev- 
eral generations,  both  of  these  distinguishing  peculiar- 
ities were  forgotten  and  the  descendants  of  Dubois, 
Hasbrouck,  Lefever,  Bevier,  Crispell,  and  then-  com- 
panions could  not  be  distinguished  except  by  name 
from  those  of  Ten  Broeck,  Van  Gaasbeek,  or  Blom. 
A  descendant  of  Dubois  became  one  of  the  prominent 
ministers  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  others 
of  Huguenot  lineage  have  followed  his  example. 

In  1883,  Ml'-  Frederick  Edward  Westbrook,  a  de- 
scendant of  Wessel  Ten  Broeck,  published  a  history  of 
the  old  Senate  House,  his  own  residence,  and  in  it  is 
contained  the  following  interesting  reference  to  the 
Huguenot  settlers: 

The  region  selected  by  the  Huguenots  for  their  future  abode 
was  like  their  own  dehghtful  France.    It  wanted  the  culture  and 


470 


The  Hudson  River 


improvements  of  the  former,  but  the  picturesque  and  the  vSub- 
Hme  in  nature  appeared  on  every  side.  Running  streams,  verd- 
ant lawns,  hills,  and  woods  charmed  the  eye.  Toward  the  east 
the  charming  prospect  was  bounded  by  the  noble  and  ever-roll- 
ing Hudson.  The  lofty  Catskills  delighted  their  vision  while  at 
Kingston,  where  they  remained  about  fifteen  years  before  leav- 
ing for  New  Paltz,  about  1683,  where  they  remained  as  their 
final  resting-place.  The  Shawangunk  and  the  Fishkill  range  of 
mountains  gave  additional  beauty  to  the  scene.  The  Rosendale 
begins  its  course  far  in  the  interior,  and,  uniting  with  the  Wall- 
kill,  then  rapidly  passes  on  till  it  unites  with  the  Hudson.  So 
w^th  the  Esopus  Creek;  its  source  is  among  the  mountains  of 
the  Delaware,  whence  it  rushes  furiously  onward  until  it  reaches 
Marbletown;  from  thence  it  runs  northerly  until  it  mingles  with 
the  Hudson  at  Saugerties,  Ulster  County.  About  twenty  fami- 
lies remained  at  Kingston.  The  Dutch  and  French  Huguenots 
followed  these  noble  streams.  Their  descendants  now  enjoy  the 
rich  and  glorious  patrimony  secured  by  the  industry,  frugality, 
and  piety  of  their  ancestors. 

A  copy  of  their  treaty  with  the  Indians  exists,  and  was  exe- 
cuted ^lay  26,  1677.  They  were  three  days  on  their  journey 
from  Kingston  to  New  Paltz.  Soon,  however,  they  selected  a 
more  elevated  site  upon  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Wallkill, 
where  the  ancient  village  now  stands.  Kingston  was  then  their 
only  trading  village. 

The  French  church,  of  which  Louis  DuBois  was  the  first  elder, 
was  established  in  1683.  For  fifty  years  the  language  they  used 
was  French;  subsequently  for  seventy  years  succeeded  by  the 
Low  Dutch ;  since  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  Eng- 
lish has  been  their  church  vernacular. 

Rev.  Mr.  Dallie,  from  New  York,  visited  New  Paltz,  January 
26,  1683,  and  occasionally  conducted  services  for  them.  Their 
then  house  of  worship  was  a  stone  edifice,  where  they  worshipped 
eighty  years,  when  it  was  demolished.  .  .  .  The  Huguenots 
finally,  by  intermarriages  and  intercourse  with  the  Dutch, 
adopted  their  language,  manners,  and  customs,  and  finally  gave 
up  their  French  church  and  accepted  and  joined  with  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  denomination,  and  worshipped  with  the  Dutch  in 
the  same  church  edifice. 


Chapter  XXVIII 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours 

IN  old  descriptions  of  county  boundaries  the  limits 
of  Ulster  are  set  at  Murderer's  Creek  on  the  south, 
and  Sawyer's  Creek  on  the  north.  The  Sawyer's 
Creek,  or  Sawkill  of  local  maps,  was  the  scene  of  an 
unaccountable  activity  on  the  part  of  a  man  whose 
name,  antecedents,  residence,  mode  of  life,  and  fate 
are  all  unknown,  yet  from  whom  a  populous  town 
derives  its  appellation.  The  "Little  Sawyer,"  who 
established  himself  on  the  bank  of  a  stream  some  ten 
miles  above  Kingston  and  antedated  the  earHest  set- 
tlers whose  names  are  recorded,  has  been  referred  to 
in  old  accounts  as  de  Zaagertje  and  his  mill  as  Zaar- 
gertje's,  of  which  Saugerties  is  a  simple  corruption. 

What  the  object  of  the  sawyer's  coming  was,  for 
whom  his  logs  were  sawn,  or  where  they  were  shipped, 
are  questions  to  which  no  answers  have  been  suggested. 
The  Indians,  in  a  transaction  the  record  of  which  was 
officially  preserved,  acknowledged  definiteh'  that  thc}^ 
had  sold  and  conveyed  to  this  mysterious  man  a  tract 
of  several  thousand  acres  of  land  on  the  banks  of  the 

471 


472 


The  Hudson  River 


stream,  but  he  was  never  known  to  have  had  the  pur- 
chase confirmed  by  royal  grant. 

In  course  of  time  this  region,  well  watered,  fertile, 
and  abounding  in  game,  attracted  settlers.  The  pleas- 
ant meadows  that  bordered  the  mouth  of  Esopus 
Creek  drew,  first  of  all,  Cornelius  Lambertsen  Brink, 
who  built  a  stone  house  at  the  junction  of  the  Platte- 
kill  and  Esopus  Creek,  in  witness  whereof  the  house 
stands  to  this  day.  There  are  also  descendants  of  the 
pioneer  Brink,  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  generations, 
whose  filial  piety  keeps  his  memory  green.  Brink  had 
been  a  prisoner  among  the  Indians  after  the  horrible 
Esopus  massacre  in  1663  ;  but,  with  twenty-two  fellow- 
captives,  he  managed  to  escape  from  the  hands  of  the 
savages.  A  few  other  hardy  Dutch  frontiersmen  took 
up  land  between  the  great  Hardenbergh  patent  and 
the  river.  A  large  holding  to  the  north  of  Saugerties 
was  known  as  Fullerton's  tract,  upon  which  afterwards 
the  West  Camp  of  the  Palatines  was  established.  This 
at  that  time  was  included  in  the  county  of  Albany,  of 
which  the  southern  boundary  was  then  Esopus  Creek. 

North  of  Saugerties  were  fruitful  plantations  of 
maize,  cultivated  by  the  Indians,  from  which,  at  a 
time  when  the  savages  had  assumed  a  hostile  attitude, 
some  white  men  took  a  quantity  of  corn.  But  it  may 
be  said  that  the  people  of  Saugerties  generally  escaped 
broils  with  their  redskin  neighbours.  As  early  as 
161 8,  a  treaty  was  made  between  one  Eelkins,  com- 
mander of  the  trading-post  at  Albany,  and  the  repre- 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours  473 


sentatives  of  the  Five  Nations,  by  which  the  latter 
pledged  themselves  to  friendship  for  the  white  men, 
and  it  is  stated  that  that  treaty  was  never  broken. 

The  Indians  that  harassed  Kingston  and  other  set- 
tlements, tomahawking  the  men  and  carrying  away 
women  and  children,  were  of  the  Esopus  and  Catskill 
tribes,  who  finally  allied  themselves  with  the  Mohegans 
against  their  greatly  dreaded  enemy,  the  Mohawks. 
We  read  of  the  subjugation  of  the  Mohegans  and  their 
allies  by  the  Mohawks  and  the  establishment  of  their 
overlordship  or  suzerainty,  and  we  can  understand 
how  the  latter  compelled  the  adversaries  of  the  Dutch 
to  surrender  prisoners  that  they  had  taken. 

Near  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  at  the 
same  time  that  a  purchase  (elsewhere  referred  to)  was 
made  of  Judge  Livingston  for  the  Palatines,  the  Fuller- 
ton  tract  was  also  secured  on  the  west  shore,  and  what 
was  known  as  West  Camp  was  established. 

It  is  not  possible  to  overestimate  the  value  of  the 
faithful  and  conscientious,  though  often  obstinate  and 
discontented,  Germans  upon  the  life  of  the  community 
that  was  then  in  its  early  formative  stage.  The  com- 
bination of  this  stock  with  that  of  the  Dutch  and  the 
Huguenot  exiles  that  came  to  Kingston  and  afterwards 
settled  the  banks  of  the  Wallkill  resulted  in  a  ''blend" 
of  unusual  excellence.  The  amalgamation  seems  to 
have  been  very  complete  in  course  of  time,  as  we  note 
that  the  Huguenots  adopted  both  the  language  and 
form  of  worship  of  the  Dutch,  while  one  of  the  most 


474 


The  Hudson  River 


successful  and  widely  known  ministers  of  the  Dutch 
Church  in  that  region  was  of  Palatine  parentage,  and 
came  in  time  to  be  known  as  "the  Dutch  Domine." 
Immediately  upon  settling,  the  Palatines  established 
schools  and  churches.  The  first  school  was  com- 
menced within  three  months  after  the  arrival  of  the 
emigrants  at  West  Camp.  This  alone  should  for  ever 
set  at  rest  the  common  notion  that  they  were  illiterate 
peasants.  Poor  they  were  certainly,  the  victims  of 
persecution  that  seemed  to  follow  them  even  from 
their  own  land  in  the  lower  Palatinate,  on  the  Rhine, 
across  the  seas,  at  first  to  England  and  afterwards  to 
America.  The  statesmen  of  Queen  Anne's  time  an- 
ticipated that  the  labour  of  the  Palatines  would  at 
least  repay  the  outlay  necessary  for  their  transport  and 
maintenance.  The  plan  was  to  employ  them  in  get- 
ting out  timbers  for  the  royal  navy,  particularly  masts 
and  spars;  and  the  production  of  pitch,  turpentine, 
resin,  etc.,  or  what  are  known  as  naval  stores. 

The  first  years  of  the  settlement  were  years  of  hard- 
ship and  suffering  and  great  discontent.  The  people 
believed  that  the  establishment  of  the  camps  upon  the 
Hudson  was  a  breach  of  faith,  they  having  tmderstood 
that  they  were  to  have  lands  elsewhere.  Forty  thou- 
sand dollars  had  been  expended  in  the  experiment  by 
the  British  government,  and  a  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  more  from  Governor  Hunter's  private  pocket; 
but  at  length  the  whole  scheme  of  colonisation  was 
acknowledged  to  be  a  failure,  and  the  colonists  were 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours  475 


permitted  to  move  where  they  pleased  or  to  buy  the 
lands  upon  which  they  were  settled. 

The  settlement  was  made  in  1 7 1  o-i  i .  In  the  French 
and  Indian  War  which  soon  followed,  the  English  found 
no  more  ready  volunteers  than  the  Palatines,  who  had 
old  scores  to  wipe  out.  This  same  warlike  spirit  was 
again  shown,  when  in  support  of  the  Continental  cause. 


DUWiN  THE  R1\KR   FROM   LdWKR   Ri:i)  H(K)K 

this  time  in  opposition  to  the  English,  their  descend- 
ants filled  not  only  the  ranks  of  the  Ulster  regiments, 
but  provided  not  a  few  of  the  military  officers.  Gen- 
eral Herkimer  was  the  most  distinguished  soldier  of 
Palatine  descent.  Under  such  leaders  as  Captain  John 
Conrad  Weiser  and  Captain  Hartman  Winedecker,  the 
yeomen  of  Saugerties  and  vicinity  made  a  good  record. 

One  of  the  early  ministers  of  the  German  exiles  was 
Josiah  Kocherthal,  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments  and 
a  poetic  temperament.    His  epitaph  in  the  cemeter}^  at 


4/6 


The  Hudson  River 


West  Camp  (Newton)  is  given  in  translation  by  Ben- 
jamin Myer  Brink,  in  his  History  of  Saugcrtics,  as 
follows : 

Know  traveller,  under  this  stone  rests,  beside  his  Sibylla 
Charlotte,  a  real  traveller,  of  the  High  Dutch  in  North  America 
their  Joshua,  and  a  pure  Lutheran  preacher  of  the  same  on  the 
east  and  west  side  of  the  Hudson  River.  His  first  arrival  was 
with  Lord  Lovelace  in  1709,  the  first  of  January.  His  second 
with  Col.  Hunter,  17 10,  the  fourteenth  of  June.  The  journey  of 
his  soul  to  Heaven  on  St.  John's  day  17 19,  interrupted  his  return 
to  England.  Do  you  wish  to  know  more  ?  Seek  in  Melancthon's 
Fatherland  who  was  Kocherthal,  who  Harschias,  who  Winchen- 
bach  ? 

Through  Sangerties  and  along  that  shore  of  the  river, 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  a  tri- weekly  mail  from  New 
York  to  Albany  was  carried  by  a  post-rider  on  horse- 
back, and  this  mail,  we  may  suppose,  was  never  burden- 
some enough  to  distress  his  horse. 

But  now  we  may  turn  our  attention  again  for  a  while 
to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  stream.  We  find  ourselves 
in  what  may  be  known  as  the  land  of  the  Livingstons. 
Mr.  Ellis  H.  Roberts  points  out  that 

in  the  assembly  of  1759,  consisting  of  twenty-seven  members,  no 
less  than  four  Livingstons  sat:  Philip  for  New  York,  William  for 
the  Manor,  and  Robert  and  Henry  for  Dutchess.  By  alliance 
by  marriage  with  the  Schuylers  and  the  Jays,  and  by  its  wealth, 
the  Livingston  family  held  a  pre-eminence  rarely  equalled  in 
this  country. 

To  write  fully  the  local  history  of  Tivoli,  Hyde  Park, 
and  the  neighbouring  region  would  be  to  undertake  the 
extensive  chronicle  of  that  prominent  family.  The 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours  477 

name  of  Livingston  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
story  of  New  York  State  and  particularly  with  its 
great  river.  Robert  Livingston,  the  immediate  pro- 
genitor of  the  American  branch  of  the  family,  was  of 
Scotch  parentage.  He  settled  first  in  Albany,  where 
he  w^as  employed  as  secretary  by  the  Commissioners  of 
Indian  Affairs,  acquiring  several  lots  of  land  from  the 
Indians.  In  1710,  he  had  his  various  purchases  and 
grants  consolidated  into  an  estate  of  something  more 
than  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres,  which  was 
secured  by  a  patent  that  was  burdened  with  the  stipu- 
lation that  for  the  enjoyment  of  this  wilderness  he 
should  pay  an  annual  rent  amounting  in  value  to  about 
three  and  a  half  dollars.  Nothing  now  remains  of 
the  old  mianor-house  which  he  erected  at  the  mouth  of 
Roeleff  Jansen's  Kill,  or  Ancram  Creek. 

Six  thousand  acres  of  Robert  Livingston's  land  was 
bought  the  same  year  that  the  grant  was  dated  by  the 
government  for  the  use  of  the  unfortunate  Palatines. 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  the  tenants  of  the 
Livingston  Manor  were  allowed  one  representative, 
elected  by  the  freeholders,  in  the  colonial  Legislature, 
and  in  1 7 1 6  the  lord  of  the  Manor  was  chosen  for  that 
office.  When  the  old  proprietor  died,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  Robert  R.,  in  the  ownership  of  the 
lower  part  of  the  Manor.  There  he  built  a  fine  man- 
sion, which  he  named  Clermont.  This  was  Judge 
Livingston,  the  father  of  that  Robert  R.  who  was  Chan- 
cellor of  the  State  of  New  York.    The  latter  was  born 


478 


The  Hudson  River 


in  old  Clermont,  but  soon  after  his  marriage  built  for 
himself  a  mansion  a  short  distance  to  the  south  of  his 
father  s  house.  Both  of  these  dwellings  were  burned 
by  the  British  under  General  Vaughan  in  1777.  The 
commodious  dwelling  that  the  Chancellor  built  upon 
the  ruins  of  his  former  home  is  the  one  upon  which  has 
centred  all  the  sacredness  of  family  traditions,  as  it 
was  here  that  he  closed  his  busy  career  in  181 3. 

We  have  elsewhere  referred  to  his  connection  with 
Robert  Fulton  in  the  production  of  the  first  successful 
steamboat.  Fulton  married  a  niece  of  Livingston's, 
whose  own  wife  was  the  daughter  of  that  John  Stevens 
who  owned  most  of  the  site  of  Hoboken,  and  sister  of 
the  second  John  Stevens,  the  builder  of  the  first  ocean- 
going steamer.  The  atmosphere  in  which  he  lived 
seems  to  have  been  surcharged  with  the  spirit  of  in- 
vention. The  origin  of  the  fallacious  tradition  that 
the  Clermont  steamer  was  built  near  Tivoli  may  be 
found  in  a  story  mentioned  by  Lossing,  to  the  effect 
that  Nesbit,  the  Englishman  whose  experiments  were 
encouraged  by  Livingston  in  1797,  did  build  an  un- 
successful steamboat  in  De  Koven's  Bay,  just  below 
Upper  Red  Hook  landing. 

It  was  at  De  Koven's  Bay  that  the  British  landed 
when  they  burned  old  Clermont.  They  made  a  demon- 
stration at  the  house  of  John  Swift  Livingston,  another 
descendant  of  the  original  proprietor,  but  were  met 
with  such  jovial  hospitality  that  they  were  pleased  to 
forego  the  burning.    It  was  a  case  where  the  cellar 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours  479 


saved  the  house,  for,  we  are  told,  the  master  pUed  his 
guests  with  wine  and  other  refreshment  till  they  de- 
parted in  high  good  humour. 

At  Annandale,  nearly  midway  between  Tivoli  and 
Barrytown,  is  another  notable  spot,  once  the  residence 
of  General  Richard  Montgomery.  His  birthplace  was 
Dublin,  Ireland;  and  at  Dublin  College  he  was  edu- 
cated, afterwards  entering  the  British  army.  When 
his  regiment,  the  17th,  was  ordered  for  service  in  en- 
forcing the  Stamp  Act  in  America,  Montgomery, 
among  others,  resigned  his  commission.  In  1772,  or 
the  early  part  of  1773,  he  came  to  New  York,  purchas- 
ing a  farm  near  Kingsbridge,  but  that  same  year  he 
married  a  daughter  of  Judge  Livingston  and  removed 
to  Rhinebeck.  The  letters  which  passed  between 
Montgomery  and  his  prospective  father-in-law  are  in 
the  stilted  style  of  a  bygone  day.  Among  other 
delightful  bits  of  rhetoric  the  suitor  writes : 

I  have  ventured  at  last  to  request,  Sir,  that  you  will  consent 
to  a  union  which  to  me  has  the  most  promising  appearance  of 
happiness,  from  the  lady's  uncommon  merit  and  amiable  worth. 
Nor  will  it  be  an  inconsiderable  addition  to  be  favoured  by  such 
respectable  characters  with  the  title  of  son,  should  I  be  so  fort- 
unate as  to  deserve  it.  And  if  to  contribute  to  the  happiness 
of  a  beloved  daughter  can  claim  any  share  with  tender  parents, 
I  hope  hereafter  to  have  some  title  to  your  esteem. 

The  answer  was  propitious  and,  it  may  be  said, 
equally  elegant  in  diction,  and  the  marriage  between 
the  future  General  and  his  beloved  Janet  took  place  in 
July,  1773.    In  1775,  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  Council 


48o 


The  Hudson  River 


of  Fifty  from  Dutchess  County,  and  afterwards,  upon 
the  appointment  of  PhiHp  Schuyler  as  Major- General, 
he  was  tendered  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General.  His 
young  wife  was  nearly  overcome  with  emotion  when 
he  brought  her  the  news  of  this  appointment,  but, 
quickly  recovering  herself,  she  with  her  own  hands 
placed  a  ribbon  cockade  upon  his  hat  and  gave  him 
such  encouragement  as  a  brave  wife,  who  loves  her 
husband's  honour  more  than  her  own  happiness,  may 
give.  The  parting  between  these  married  lovers  took 
place  at  Saratoga.  It  was  marked  by  deep  feeling  and 
a  no  less  strong  self-control.  Then  the  young  soldier 
turned  his  face  towards  Canada,  and  his  wife  saw  him 
no  more. 

We  know  how  General  Schuyler's  resignation,  on 
account  of  ill-health,  raised  Montgomery  to  chief  com- 
mand at  Isle  aux  Noix.  He  had  a  difficult  task  in 
dealing  with  discontent  and  even  insubordination 
among  his  troops,  but  his  progress  through  Canada 
was  triumphant,  and  he  went  to  the  attack  of  Quebec 
with  a  feeling  that  he  had  courted  fortune  and  found 
her  kind." 

With  his  half-starved  and  half-naked  little  army,  in 
the  bitter  cold  of  a  Canadian  winter  morning,  before 
the  dawn,  on  the  31st  December,  1775,  Montgomery 
arranged  his  forces  for  the  attack.  Through  the  dark- 
ness and  the  falling  snow  he  urged  his  benumbed  sol- 
diers, till  he  received  the  wound  that  proved  mortal. 
When  his  body  was  afterwards  identified  among  a 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours  4^3 

number  of  others,  the  British  commander  had  it  buried 
within  the  walls  of  the  city  with  military  honours.  By 
his  will,  made  at  Crown  Point  during  the  preceding 
August,  and  found  a  few  days  after  his  death  by  Bene- 
dict Arnold  and  Donald  Campbell,  Montgomery's 
estate  on  the  Hudson  w^as  given  to  his  wife,  Janet. 

After  forty-three  years  the  body  of  General  Mont- 
gomery was  delivered,  through  the  courtesy  of  Sir 
John  Sherbrooke,  to  Colonel  Lewis  Livingston,  and, 
escorted  by  the  Adjutant-General,  with  Colonel  Van 
Rensselaer  and  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  it  was  brought 
to  Albany  and  lay  in  state  in  the  Capitol.  The  im- 
pressive ceremonies  held  there  extended  over  the 
Fourth  of  July.  Two  days  later  commenced  a  funeral 
progress  without  parallel  in  the  history  of  New  York. 
Placed  in  a  magnificent  coffin  and  accompanied  by  a 
suitable  military  escort,  the  remains  of  the  hero  of 
Quebec  were  taken  aboard  the  steamer  Richmond, 
which  had  been  temporarily  converted  into  a  funeral 
catafalque.  The  sombre  spectacle  made  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  the  thousands  of  people  who  witnessed 
the  departure.  The  villages  along  the  course  of  this 
mournful  procession  paid  every  possible  mark  of  re- 
spect and  grief,  and  at  some  places  the  melancholy 
report  of  minute  guns  announced  the  passing  of  the 
steamer. 

But  more  impressive  than  the  beat  of  muffled  drums 
or  the  salute  of  the  cannon,  more  significant  than  the 
emblems  of  mourning,  more  sad  than  the  tears  of  a 


484 


The  Hudson  River 


multitude,  was  the  presence  of  one  woman,  past  the 
prime  of  Hfe,  with  hair  whitened  by  nearly  half  a  cent- 
ury of  widowhood.  At  her  own  request,  Mrs.  Mont- 
gomery was  left  alone  upon  the  piazza  of  her  home, 
Montgomer}^  Place."  There,  un watched,  she  could 
witness  the  pomp  and  ceremony  of  that  melancholy 
progress  that,  while  it  could  not  fail  to  gratify  her 
pride,  yet  renewed  the  anguish  of  her  loss  and  brought 
the  scalding  tears  to  her  aged  eyes.  The  steamboat 
stopped  before  her  house  and  the  troops  stood  under 
arms  as  the  distant  strains  of  the  dead-march  came 
up  from  the  river. 

At  last  the  final  honours  to  Montgomery  were  paid 
in  New  York  City,  and  on  the  8th  of  July,  1818,  his 
remains  were  interred  under  the  monument  in  St. 
Paul's  Churchyard. 

We  have,  in  a  former  chapter,  made  reference  to 
Hyde  Park  as  the  scene  of  James  Kirke  Paulding's  re- 
tirement, and  no  account  of  the  river  written  fifty 
years  ago  could  have  omitted  to  mention  the  beauties 
of  his  country  home,  "  Placentia,"  and  the  fame  of  the 
author  and  public  servant  who  lived  there.  But  who 
recollects  to-day  in  whose  administration  Paulding  was 
Secretary  of  State — or  was  it  war? — and  what  library 
in  active  circulation  to-day  would  be  cumbered  by 
keeping  his  once-popular  books  on  its  shelves  ?  James 
K.  Paulding  is  to  most  Americans  a  scarcely  remem- 
bered name,  recalled  only  because  of  his  association 
with  Washington  Irving  in  some  youthful  literary 


Saugerties  and  its  Neighbours  4^5 


ventures.  His  pleasant  home  at  Hyde  Park  was  re- 
christened  by  a  subsequent  owner,  as  though  to  em- 
phasise the  vanity  of  popular  reputation.  An  inquiry 
about  the  last  scene  of  his  earthly  sojourn  elicits  from 
one  whose  leisure,  if  not  elegant,  is  at  least  obvious, 
such  a  reply: 

Paulding's  house?  What  Paulding?  Th'  feller  that  used  to 
be  barkeeper  at  the  hotel?  Well,  then,  I  don't  know  who  vou 
mean :  I  guess  he  ain't  lived  round  here  none  fer  quite  a  spell. 


Chapter  XXIX 


The  Catskill  Region 

THE  greater  portion  of  that  part  of  Greene 
County  bordering  upon  the  river  was,  in 
early  times,  held  by  a  few  proprietors.  In 
accordance  with  the  instructions  of  the  Company,  the 
lands  were  purchased  from  the  Indian  owners,  being 
afterwards  in  nearly  all  instances  confirmed  by  royal 
grants.  The  same  method  of  procedure  was  followed 
along  the  shores  of  the  lower  part  of  the  river. 

A  little  to  the  south  of  Catskill,  a  dozen  or  more 
yoemen  settled  with  their  families  — numbering,  slaves 
and  all,  seventy  or  more  souls — upon  land  which  was 
then,  and  has  ever  since  been  called  the  imhogt.  This 
was  included  in  the  Loverage  patent.  Beekman  s,  al- 
ready alluded  to,  was  in  Kiskatom,  adjoining  Greene  s. 
The  land  where  the  village  of  Catskill  stands  was  in- 
cluded in  Lindsay's  patent. 

Silvester  Salsbury  and  Martin  G.  Bergen,  in  1677, 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  from  the  Indians.  Sals- 
bury  was  a  British  captain,  who  had  charge  of  the  fort 
at  Albany  in  the  time  of  Governor  Nicoll.    A  patent 

for  this  land  was  not  obtained  till  1688,  when  Salsbury 

486 


The  Catskill  Region 


487 


was  no  longer  living;  but  his  widow  held  his  portion 
of  the  estate,  which  lay  on  Catskill  Creek.  Neither  of 
the  original  patentees  Hved  upon  the  land  thus  ac- 


WOODLAND  BROOK  NEAR  CATSKILL 
{F7-ovt  the  painting;  by  A.  B.  Durand^  in  the  Lenox  Library.    By  pernti^sion) 


quired,  but  continued  residents  of  Albany,  their  sons, 
however,  moved  into  the  Catskill  wilderness. 

Francis  Salsbury,  in  1705,  built  upon  his  portion  of 


488 


The  Hudson  River 


the  domain  a  stone  house  that  was  a  sufficient  protec- 
tion against  the  arms  or  military  science  of  the  redskins 
and  also  proof  against  the  ravages  of  two  centuries. 
For  many  years  this  dwelling  enjoyed  the  distinction 
of  being  the  largest  house  between  Newburgh  and  Al- 
bany. The  Van  Bergen  mansion,  though  equally  en- 
during, was  somewhat  altered  architecturally  a  number 
of  years  ago.  It  was  built  of  brick,  being  a  unique 
example  of  the  use  of  this  material  in  old  Catskill. 

Benjamin  Dubois  had  a  wooden  house,  probably  a 
roomy  log-cabin,  near  the  mouth  of  the  creek;  and 
others  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  settlement  were 
similarly  housed.  Among  the  names  of  the  older 
Catskill  families  are  Van  Ordens,  Van  Vechtens,  Over- 
baghs,  Abeels,  Oothoudts,  Schunemans,  Wynkoops, 
Fieros,  Webers,  Plancks,  Newkirks — a  mingling  of 
Dutch  and  German  appellations  still  to  be  found  in  the 
Catskill  directory. 

There  is  a  tradition  that,  on  Wanton  Island,  near 
Catskill,  a  fierce  battle  was  once  fought  between  the 
Mohawks  and  the  river  Indians.  The  former  claimed 
the  right  to  name  a  sachem  for  their  neighbours,  or, 
in  other  words,  they  tried  to  enforce  the  right  of  over- 
lordship,  which  the  others  resisted.  After  a  day  of 
hard  fighting,  according  to  Indian  methods,  the  Mohe- 
gans  succeeded  in  driving  their  enemies  from  the  field. 
The  Mohawks  then  retreated  to  another  island,  where 
they  built  fires  and  pretended  to  encamp.  But,  having 
spread  their  blankets  upon  poles  near  the  fire,  so  that 


The  Catskill  Region 


489 


they  should  resemble  men  seated  there,  they  retired  to 
the  forest  and  waited  in  ambush  till  the  Mohegans 
appeared  to  complete  their  victory.  The  latter,  steal- 
ing up  in  the  dead  of  night,  tomahawk  in  hand,  fell 
upon  the  unsuspecting  blankets  with  great  fury.  While 
thus  exposed  in  the  glare  of  the  firelight,  and  no  doubt 
thrown  into  confusion  by  the  ruse  that  had  duped 
them,  they  fell  a  ready  prey  to  the  arrows  of  the  crafty 
Mohawks.  In  another  narrative  of  this  battle  (one,  it 
must  be  confessed,  more  in  keeping  with  probabilities), 
no  mention  is  made  of  the  strategy  of  the  blankets  and 
camp-fire.  It  is  stated  that  the  Mohawks,  finding  the 
Mohegans'  position  on  the  island  impregnable,  retired 
to  the  mainland,  pretending  to  be  beaten,  and  that  the 
others  foolishh^  followed  them,  to  their  own  destruc- 
tion. The  result  of  this  battle  was  a  treaty,  by  the 
terms  of  which  the  Mohawks  were  to  choose  a  king  for 
the  Mohegans,  and  they  were  pledged  to  reverence  him 
and  call  him  by  the  honourable  title  of  "  Uncle." 

Van  Rensselaer's  agent  coveted  and  laid  claim  to  the 
region  about  Catskill,  but  his  pretensions  w^ere  set  at 
naught  by  Governor  Kieft,  who  granted  the  land  to 
Cornelius  Antonissen  Van  Slyck  of  Bruckelin.  This 
was  in  1644;  but,  in  1649,  Rensselaer,  who  paid 

little  regard  to  what  was  done  by  the  Governor  of  New 
Amsterdam,  asserted  his  rights  by  purchasing  of  the 
Indians  their  property  in  the  disputed  territory.  In 
1650,  the  Dutch  West  India  Com])any  denied  the  valid- 
ity of  the  purchase  made  by  Van  Slechtenhorst,  \"an 


490 


The  Hudson  River 


Rensselaer's  agent,  and  Stuyvesant  deelared  the  title 
void,  ordering  that  the  purchase  money  be  restored, 
yet  making  a  condition  that  if  those  holding  such 
lands  would,  within  six  weeks,  petition  the  Director 
and  Council,  they  might  have  their  holdings  confirmed. 
Of  course,  this  was  a  crafty  effort  on  the  Governor  s 
part  to  make  the  too  independent  patroon  of  Renssel- 
aerswyck  own  the  authority  of  the  Company's  Director 
at  Manhattan.  Grants  free  from  dependence  upon  the 
Patroon  were  subsequently  given  by  the  powers  at 
Amsterdam. 

William  Leete  Stone,  editor  at  one  time  of  the  New 
York  Commercial  Advertiser,  wrote  regarding  the  settle- 
ment of  Catskill,  that 

its  Dutch  founders,  with  characteristic  prudence,  placed  it  en- 
tirely out  of  sight  from  the  river,  probably  to  render  themselves 
secure  from  bombardment  by  a  foreign  fleet  and  from  invasion 
from  the  armies  of  the  Yankees,  which  formerly  much  annoyed 
our  primitive  settlements. 

The  Indians  from  whom  the  lands  of  the  early  set- 
tlers were  purchased  disappeared  entirely  from  the 
scene.  Their  sachem,  Mahak-Neminaw,  seems  to  have 
been  a  poor  sort  of  a  chief,  drunken  and  beggarly.  He 
had  a  share  in  the  earlier  transactions  for  the  transfer 
of  his  tribe's  patrimony,  but  when  the  final  sale,  which 
left  his  people  without  a  habitation  on  earth,  was 
made,  he  was  not  present,  and  his  fellow- tribesmen  stip- 
ulated that  when  he  appeared  he  was  to  receive,  as  his 
share  of  the  price,  two  pieces  of  duffels  and  six  cans  of 


The  Catskill  Region 


491 


rum.  Where  these  earlier  inhabitants,  whose  wigwams 
occupied  the  terrace  that  became  the  site  of  old  Cats- 
kill,  betook  themselves,  is  not  recorded.  The  sub- 
sequent Indian  troubles,  which  this  place  shared  with 
other  river  towns,  were  due  to  conflict  with  other 
tribes. 

The  most  tragic  stories  of  Indian  atrocities  are  of 
Revolutionary  date.  The  fierce  Mohawks,  acting  as 
allies  with  the  British,  and  aided  by  Tories  who  were 
scattered  throughout  the  country,  swooped  down  u]oon 
solitary  farmhouses  and  captured  the  inmates,  taking 
them  by  arduous  forest  ways  to  Canada,  where  a  re- 
ward was  paid  for  each  prisoner.  It  seems  almost  in- 
credible that  a  party  of  twenty  or  more  redskins,  with 
possibly  several  white  men,  would  undertake  a  toil- 
some journey  of  hundreds  of  miles,  on  foot,  through  a 
wilderness,  where  hunger  often  assailed  them,  for  the 
sake  of  one  or  two  miserable  farmer  captives,  usually 
boys  or  old  men.    Yet  such  was  the  fact. 

One  of  the  best  known  of  local  stories  is  that  of  the 
captivity  of  the  Abeels — David  Abeel  and  x\nthony  his 
son.  These  people  lived  in  a  house  about  three  miles 
back  of  Catskill.  The  father,  who  was  old,  had  been 
an  Indian  trader  and  understood  the  Mohawk  tongue. 
When  seated  at  their  noonday  meal  one  Sunday,  the 
family  was  surprised  by  the  sudden  entrance  of  a  num- 
ber of  Indians,  led  by  a  white  man,  painted  and  dis- 
guised, but  recognised  by  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  old 
Indian  trader,  who  thoughtlessly  called  him  by  name. 


492 


The  Hudson  River 


''Since  you  know  who  I  am,"  said  this  man,  who  was 
a  Tory  neighbour  of  the  Abeels,  "  you  will  have  to 
come  too."  It  was  not  at  first  the  intention  of  the 
marauders  to  take  the  old  man,  who  was  thought  too 
feeble  to  sustain  the  fatigue  of  the  long  march. 

In  honour  of  the  holy  day  both  David  and  Anthony 
had  on  their  best  clothes  and  finery,  and  it  grieved  the 
thrifty  soul  of  a  daughter,  who  was  present,  that  the 
silver  shoe-  and  knee-buckles  that  were  the  pride  of 
the  family  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  so 
while  the  palaver  was  going  on  she  hid  under  the  table, 
and,  detaching  these  valuable  trinkets,  slipped  them 
into  her  bosom. 

Torn  from  his  family,  David  Abeel  made  heroic 
efforts  to  keep  up  with  his  captors,  knowing  that 
should  he  fail  to  do  so  he  would  be  put  out  of  the  way 
without  hesitation.  When  the  savages  learned  that  he 
could  converse  with  them  in  their  own  language,  and 
had  been  among  their  people  as  a  trader,  they  treated 
him  with  consideration.  The  son  was  compelled  to 
run  the  gauntlet,  that  is,  to  make  what  speed  he  could 
between  two  armed  files  of  Indians,  whose  blows  he 
might  escape  by  dodging.  His  father  warned  him  that 
the  young  men  would  try  to  get  in  his  way  and  impede 
him.  Remembering  this  caution,  he  struck  the  first 
one  who  interfered  so  hard  a  blow  that  the  Indian  fell 
sprawling  among  his  companions  and  in  the  confusion 
Anthony  completed  his  run  without  injury. 

About  the  same  time  Captain  Jeremiah  Snyder  and 


The  Catskill  Region 


493 


his  son  Elias,  of  Saugerties,  were  taken  by  Tories  and 
Indians  while  ploughing  in  a  field.  They  attem]3ted 
to  escape  by  running,  but  were  captured,  and  Captain 
Snyder  wounded  by  a  blow  from  a  tomahawk.  These 
captives  were  conducted  by  the  same  general  route  as 
that  generally  taken  by  marauding  bands  from  Canada 
— by  way  of  the  Delaware,  Susquehanna,  and  Genesee 
rivers.  They  were  closely  guarded  by  day,  and  at 
night  a  rope,  passed  around  the  arms  of  each  and  se- 
curely tied  behind,  was  stretched  to  pegs  on  either  side, 
an  Indian  sleeping  upon  each  rope.  The  story  of  the 
captivity  of  these  men  is  a  romance,  but  too  long  for 
insertion  here.  The  Snyders  and  Abeels  met  in  Can- 
ada, and  afterwards  succeeded  in  making  their  escape 
together,  subsequently  returning  to  their  homes. 

The  capture  of  the  boy  Schermerhorn,  known  as  the 
"Low  Dutch  Prisoner,"  was  attended  with  the  horror 
of  murder  and  arson.  The  old  people  with  whom  he 
lived,  Mr.  Strope  and  his  wife,  were  tomahawked,  and 
the  house  rifled  of  all  of  value  that  it  contained  before 
it  was  finally  fired.  Like  the  Snyders  and  Abeels, 
Schermerhorn  finally  returned  to  his  home,  but  not  till 
he  had  endured  almost  inconceivable  hardships  as  a 
captive,  and  had  afterwards  been  forced  to  fight  in  the 
British  armv.  Upon  his  enlistment  a  bounty  of  forty 
Spanish  dollars  (the  customary  sum)  was  paid  to  the 
Indian  who  had  captured  him. 

A  bounty  was  paid  by  the  British  for  scalps,  and 
women  and  children  as  well  as  men  furnished  these 


494  The  Hudson  River 


horrible  trophies,  which  were  to  the  savages  a  source 
of  income. 

Most  of  the  inhabitants  of  Catskill  were  ardent 
''Whigs,"  as  they  were  called,  and  the  wrath  of  their 
scattered  Tory  neighbours  was  roused  against  them.  It 
is  recorded  that  one  sixth  of  the  male  population  of 
Catskill  were  in  the  patriot  army,  some  serving  near 
home  and  others  offering  their  lives  on  distant  battle- 
fields. 

A  man  of  great  influence  at  that  day  was  Domine 
Schuneman,  whose  pastorate  of  forty  years  had  en- 
deared him  to  the  people  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was 
their  leader  in  things  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual. 
Mr.  Schuneman  was  not  of  Hollandish  descent,  but  had 
sprung  from  the  German  peasant  blood  of  the  Palatin- 
ate settlement.  He,  however,  was  a  minister  of  the 
Dutch  Church,  and  had  been  in  Holland  to  complete 
at  Leyden  the  theological  education  commenced  under 
Domine  Theodorus  Frielinghuysen  at  Albany.  His 
pastorate  included  Coxsackie  as  well  as  Catskill,  an 
arrangement  frequently  made  between  neighbouring 
villages  at  that  day,  when  congregations  were  small 
and  ministers  few.  Schuneman  was  a  strong  supporter 
of  the  colonial  cause,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  to  his 
great  influence  was  due  much  of  the  intense  patriotism 
of  his  neighbours. 

In  common  with  other  great  men,  the  Catskill 
Domine  was  the  subject  of  many  anecdotes,  some  of 
them  amusing.    There  is  a  story  told  of  an  entry 


The  Catskill  Region 


495 


made  in  his  minute-book,  as  follows:   ''Attended  the 

funeral  of  ;  sold  my  gray  mare;  all  flesh  is 

grass." 

When  he  went  abroad  to  complete  his  studies  he  was 
engaged  to  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  wealthy  pro- 
prietor, Martin  Van  Bergen.  On  his  return  he  was  so 
pitted  with  smallpox  that  she  did  not  know  him,  but 
love  was  strong  enough  to  overlook  the  disfigurement 
and  the  course  of  their  true  love  ran  smooth.  After 
old  Martin's  death,  the  Domine  became  by  inheritance 
a  rich  man,  and  built  a  splendid  house,  where  he  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  His  funeral  was  in  the 
good  old  Dutch  manner,  a  medley  of  grief  and  junket- 
ing, of  piety  and  punch.  Each  comer,  man  or  woman, 
was  met  at  the  outset  with  a  glass  of  rum,  and,  after  a 
service  in  Dutch  and  a  long  procession  on  foot  (the 
coffin  upon  an  open  bier  leading  the  way),  the  assem- 
bled company  returned  to  the  house  and,  amid  clouds 
of  tobacco  smoke  and  deep  potations,  discussed  the 
merits  of  the  departed  pastor  and  the  merits  of  the 
last  horse  sale. 

One  of  the  traditionary  stories  of  Catskill  is  told  in 
Barber  and  Howe's  Collections,  the  author,  William 
Leete  Stone,  having  perhaps  added  a  touch  of  imag- 
ination to  the  original  version  of  the  tale.  At  an  old 
stone  house  standing  at  Cairo,  about  ten  miles  to  the 
northward  of  Catskill,  there  lived  in  the  early  part  of 
the  eighteenth  century  a  young  man  of  arbitrary,  ])as- 
sionate  disposition;    one  whose  passions  often  rose 


496 


The  Hudson  River 


beyond  control.  A  young  woman,  one  of  the  "re- 
demptioners"  or  white  bond-servants  of  the  time,  ran 
away  from  the  service  of  this  man.  He  pursued  her 
on  horseback,  and,  finally  overtaking  her,  tied  her  to 
the  tail  of  his  horse,  which  became  frightened  and 
dashed  madly  among  the  rocks  and  stones  till  the  poor 
victim  was  killed  and  her  body  terribly  mutilated. 
The  man  was  tried  for  murder  and  found  guilty,  but 
through  the  influence  of  his  family  he  escaped  punish- 
ment, or,  rather,  the  court  decreed  that  he  should  be 
hanged  when  he  attained  the  age  of  ninety-nine  years. 
In  addition  to  this  sentence,  he  was  to  present  himself 
annually  to  the  judges  when  the  court  was  in  session, 
and  wear  always  a  cord  about  his  neck  as  a  memorial 
of  his  crime.  He  lived  for  many  years,  and  continued 
each  year  to  fulfil  the  conditions  of  his  sentence. 
People  talked  of  the  silken  cord  that  he  wore,  and  he 
was  shunned  and  solitary  in  his  life,  while  spectres  of 
various  sorts  gathered  around  his  isolated  dwelling. 
Sometimes  a  female  figure  would  appear  alone,  then  a 
terrific  white  horse  followed  by  a  ghastly  thing  in  tat- 
tered clothes,  and  again  a  wraith  in  a  winding-sheet — 
altogether  the  neighbourhood  of  the  house  became  un- 
canny. The  Revolutionary  war  came  and  found  the 
criminal  an  old  man;  his  ninety-ninth  year,  that  had 
been  selected  in  what  seems  like  grim  pleasantry  as 
the  date  of  his  execution,  came,  and  he  lived  on.  When 
over  a  hundred  years  of  age  he  fell  quietly  asleep, 
and  who  shall  doubt  that  the  crime  of  his  youth  was 


The  Catskill  Region 


499 


expiated  by  three  quarters  of  a  century  of  punish- 
ment. 

The  details  of  this  story  have  no  doubt  been  col- 
oured, but  there  is  a  foundation  in  fact.  The  man  in 
question  did  tie  a  servant  to  a  rope,  to  make  her  return 
to  his  home,  from  which  she  had  escaped;  but  he  tied 
the  other  end  of  the  rope  to  his  own  body  and  was  him- 
self dragged  to  the  ground  when  the  horse  ran  away. 
He  gave  himself  up  to  the  authorities,  who,  it  is  said, 
acquitted  him  and  let  him  go  free. 

The  history  of  Catskill  has  shown  an  industrial  de- 
cline during  some  years  of  the  past  century.  The 
town  had  a  great  deal  of  trade,  particularly  with  West- 
ern New  York  and  Northern  Pennsylvania,  but  the 
building  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  establishment  of 
the  railroads  upon  the  opposite  sides  of  the  river 
served  successively  to  rob  it  of  its  advantages  of  posi- 
tion for  trade. 

Back  of  Catskill  village,  a  dozen  or  more  miles  away, 
rise  the  most  impressive  peaks  on  the  outer  wall  of 
the  mountain  range  that  gives  it  its  name.  Not  as 
lofty  as  many  of  the  famous  chains  that  are  celebrated 
by  travellers,  the  Catskills  have  a  rare  beauty  of  their 
own  and  are  fully  worthy  of  the  admiration  of  the 
artist  or  the  poet.    Irving  says : 

Of  all  the  scenery  of  the  Hudson,  the  Kaatskill  Mountains  had 
the  most  witching  effect  on  my  boyish  imagination.  Never 
shall  I  forget  the  effect  upon  me  of  the  first  view  of  them  pre- 
dominating over  a  wide  extent  of  country,  part  wild,  woody,  and 


500 


The  Hudson  River 


rugged;  part  softened  away  into  all  the  graces  of  cultivation. 
As  we  slowly  floated  along,  I  lay  on  the  deck  and  watched  them 
through  a  long  summer's  day;  undergoing  a  thousand  muta- 
tions under  the  magical  effects  of  atmosphere ;  sometimes  seem- 
ing to  approach,  at  other  times  to  recede;  now  almost  melting 
into  hazy  distance,  now  burnished  by  the  setting  sun,  until,  in 
the  evening,  they  printed  themselves  against  the  glowing  sky  in 
the  deep  purple  of  an  Italian  landscape. 

As  Kingston  cherishes  in  her  hall  of  fame  the  name 
of  John  Vanderlyn,  artist,  so  Catskill  points  with  jjride 
to  Thomas  Cole,  who,  though  of  English  birth,  yet  for 
many  years,  and  indeed  to  the  close  of  his  life,  lived 
and  worked  near  that  place.  He  is  best  known  by  the 
Voyage  of  Life,  which  at  the  time  of  its  exhibition  was 
considered,  perhaps,  the  most  remarkable  painting  pro- 
duced in  America.  Cole  had  a  deeply  reverent  spirit, 
evinced  no  less  in  the  works  of  his  brush  than  in  the 
poems  by  which  he  loved  to  express  his  strong  appre- 
ciation of  nature, 

Slowly  unfolding  to  the  enraptured  gaze 
Her  thousand  charms. 

Here  we  may  go  aside  for  a  short  excursion  into 
those  enchanted  hills  where  dwelt  the  old  squaw  who 
"made  the  new  moons,  and  cut  up  the  old  ones  into 
stars. "  Her  factory  for  making  clouds  is  still  in  opera- 
tion as  she  sends  them  off,  "flake  after  flake,  to  float 
in  the  air  and  give  light  summer  showers,"  or  "black 
thunder-storms  and  drenching  rains,  to  swell  the 
streams  and  sweep  everything  away." 

In  the  days  of  William  Kieft,  Governor  of  New 


The  Catskill  Region 


50 


Amsterdam,  he,  in  company  with  Adrian  Vander  Donck 
and  others,  met  the  chiefs  of  the  Mohawks  in  confer- 
ence and  noticed  the  metalHc  lustre  of  certain  pigments 
used  by  the  savages  in  personal  adornment.  They 
procured  some  of  this  metal  and  Johannes  de  la  Mon- 
tague put  it  in  a  crucible.  When  assayed  it  produced 
gold,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  Governor  and  his 
friends,  who  managed,  upon  the  arrangement  of  peace, 
to  send  an  expedition  in  search  of  the  source  of  treas- 
ure. The  result  of  the  expedition  was  a  bucketful  of 
ore  that  yielded  pleasing  results  when  put  to  the  cruci- 
ble s  test.  The  rest  of  the  story  may  be  told  in  Irving 's 
words : 

William  Kieft  now  dispatched  a  confidential  agent,  one  Arent 
Corsen,  to  convey  a  sackful  of  the  precious  ore  to  Holland.  Cor- 
sen  embarked  at  New  Haven  in  a  British  vessel  bound  to  Eng- 
land, whence  he  was  to  cross  to  Rotterdam.  The  ship  set  sail 
about  Christmas,  but  never  reached  port.    All  on  board  perished. 

In  1647,  when  the  redoubtable  Petrus  Stuyvesant  took  com- 
mand of  the  New  Netherlands,  William  Kieft  embarked  on  his 
return  to  Holland,  provided  with  further  specimens  of  the  Cats- 
kill  Mountain  ore,  from  which  he  doubtless  indulged  golden  an- 
ticipations. A  similar  fate  attended  him  with  that  which  had 
befallen  his  agent.  The  ship  in  which  he  had  embarked  was  cast 
away,  and  he  and  his  treasure  were  swallowed  up  in  the  waves. 

Here  closes  the  golden  legend  of  the  Catskills,  but  another  one 
of  a  similar  import  succeeds.  In  1679,  about  two  years  after  the 
shipwreck  of  Wilhelmus  Kieft,  there  was  again  a  rumour  of  the 
precious  metals  in  these  mountains.  Mynheer  Brant  Arent  Van 
Slechtenhorst,  agent  of  the  Patroon  of  Rensselaerswyck,  had  pur- 
chased, in  behalf  of  the  Patroon,  a  tract  of  the  Catskill  lands, 
and  leased  it  out  in  farms.  A  Dutch  lass,  in  the  household  of 
one  of  the  farmers,  found  one  day  a  glittering  substance,  which, 


502 


The  Hudson  River 


on  being  examined,  was  pronounced  silver  ore.  Brant  Van 
Slechtenhorst  forthwith  sent  his  son  from  Rensselaerswyck  to 
explore  the  mountains  in  quest  of  the  supposed  mines.  The 
young  man  put  up  in  the  farmer's  house,  which  had  recently 
been  erected  on  the  margin  of  a  mountain  stream.  Scarcely  was 
he  housed  when  a  furious  storm  burst  forth  on  the  mountains. 
The  thunders  rolled,  the  lightnings  flashed,  the  rain  came  down 
in  cataracts;  the  stream  was  suddenly  swollen  to  a  furious  tor- 
rent thirty  feet  deep;  the  farmhouse  and  all  its  contents  were 
swept  away,  and  it  was  only  by  dint  of  excellent  swimming  that 
young  Slechtenhorst  saved  his  own  life  and  the  lives  of  his 
horses.  Shortly  after  this  a  feud  broke  out  between  Peter  Stuy- 
vesant  and  the  Patroon  of  Rensselaerswyck,  on  account  of  the 
right  and  title  to  the  Catskill  Mountains,  in  the  course  of  which 
the  elder  Slechtenhorst  was  taken  captive  by  the  potentate  of 
the  New  Netherlands,  and  thrown  into  prison  at  New  Amsterdam. 

We  have  met  with  no  record  of  any  further  attempt  to  get  at 
the  treasures  of  the  Cat  skills.  Adventurers  may  have  been  dis- 
couraged by  the  ill-luck  which  appeared  to  attend  all  who 
meddled  with  them,  as  if  they  were  under  the  guardian  keep  of 
the  same  spirits  or  goblins  who  once  haunted  the  mountains  and 
ruled  over  the  weather.  That  gold  and  silver  ore  was  actually 
procured  from  these  moimtains  in  days  of  yore  we  have  histori- 
cal evidence  to  prove ;  and  the  recorded  word  of  Adrian  Van  der 
Donk,  a  man  of  weight,  who  was  an  eye-witness.  If  gold  and 
silver  were  once  to  be  found  there,  they  must  be  there  at  present. 
It  remains  to  be  seen,  in  these  gold- hunting  days,  whether  the 
quest  will  be  renewed;  and  some  daring  adventurer,  with  a  true 
Calif ornian  spirit,  will  penetrate  the  mysteries  of  these  mount- 
ains, and  open  a  golden  region  on  the  borders  of  the  Hudson. 


Chapter  XXX 


Nantucket  Quakers  and  Dutch  Fighters 

TO  celebrate  the  city  of  Hudson,  judicial  seat  of 
Columbia  County,  requires  the  pen  of  Knick- 
erbocker. To  the  modern  mind  its  reason  for 
being  seems  as  deliciously  absurd  as  anything  in  the 
inconsequent  adventures  of  i\lice  in  Wonderland. 

A  little  company  of  sturdy  New  England  men,  from 
Nantucket,  Martha's  Vineyard,  and  Providence,  de- 
cided in  1784  that  they  would  found  a  city.  The 
humour  of  the  proposition  lay  in  the  fact  that,  being 
mighty  in  the  handling  of  the  harpoon  and  seasoned 
with  the  salt  of  many  seas,  they  proposed  to  establish, 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  miles  inland  from  New  York, 
a  city  devoted  to  whaling  and  kindred  industries. 

There  is  no  suggestion  that  these  grave  humourists 
ever  dreamed  of  finding  whales  in  the  Hudson,  though 
there  is  a  tradition  that  one  mighty  cetacean  went  in 
search  of  his  ancient  antagonists,  or  for  some  other 
reason  ascended  the  waters  of  the  river  till  he  stranded 
on  the  Hudson  Flats,  to  the  great  consternation  of  the 
regular  navigators  from  Coxsackie  to  Saugerties. 

There  is  one  strong  argument  to  advance  in  favour 

503 


504 


The  Hudson  River 


of  the  sanity  of  the  |)r()])rietors  of  Hudson.  Tl"ieir  ])lan 
sueeeeded.  From  old  Chix'eraek  Landing,  as  the  ])lace 
was  at  hrst  known,  whaku's  were  dis])atehed  and  re- 
turned reeking  with  unsavoury  s])erm.  Other  vessels 
brouglit  their  merehandise  from  the  ends  of  the  earth 
to  this  harbour,  so  secure  against  an\'  wind  that  ever 
troubled  the  ocean. 

A  year  after  its  settlement,  Hudson  was  incorporated 
as  a  city.  Its  growth  was  phenomenal,  only  excelled, 
it  is  said,  by  that  of  Baltimore,  and  the  proprietors 
waxed  wealth}'.  For  the  large  region  of  Columbia 
County  it  became  at  once  the  distributing  centre  for 
all  manner  of  merchandise,  and  after  a  while  manu- 
factures were  established  and  prospered.  The  names 
of  the  proprietors  were  all  familiar  along  the  southern 
Massachusetts  shore.  Their  leader  was  Thomas  Jen- 
kins of  Nantucket;  while  Marshal  Jenkins  of  Martha's 
Vineyard,  with  others  of  the  same  surname,  appear 
prominently  in  early  records.  Biblical  names  seemed 
to  abound  in  the  family  of  Thomas.  We  find  Seth, 
Lemuel,  and  Benjamin  in  the  second  generation;  the 
first  named  figuring  as  mayor.  Marshal  Jenkins  was 
the  grandfather  of  Major- General  William  Jenkins 
Worth,  whose  feats  of  arms  in  Mexico  made  him  a 
popular  hero  and  whose  dust  reposes  under  the  gran- 
ite monument  erected  to  him  on  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York. 

In  speculating  upon  the  motives  which  induced  the 
''thirty  New  Englanders,  mostly  Quakers,"  to  choose 


Nantucket  Quakers  and  Dutch  Fighters  507 


this  site  for  their  city,  it  is  difficult  to  beheve  that  mere 
prudence  or  a  commercial  spirit  impelled  them.  It  is 
true  that  after  the  troublesome  experiences  of  the  war, 
when  their  vessels  had  been  captured  and  destroyed 
and  their  liberties  menaced  l)y  the  British  enemy,  they 
must  have  experienced  great  satisfaction  in  finding  so 
safe  a  retreat ;  ljut  it  is  also  to  be  believed  that  to  eyes 
accustomed  to  the  unmitigated  sand  and  unrelievbd 
levels  of  Cape  Cod,  the  green  and  fertile  billows  of  the 
landscape  that  lies  between  the  river  and  the  Katz- 
bergs"  must  have  been  like  a  vision  of  Paradise. 

Hudson  has  attracted  several  artists  of  repute — in- 
deed, has  been  the  birthplace  of  more  than  one  of  the 
school  that  it  was  the  fashion  a  few  years  ago  to  refer 
to  slightingly  as  ''Hudson  River."  Church  and  Gif- 
ford  lead  the  list  of  those  who  have  been  honoured 
among  American  painters. 

The  first  steamboat  owned  in  Hudson  was  the  Legis- 
lature, built  elsewhere,  but  purchased  by  a  Hudson  firm 
in  1828  for  towing  purposes.  Before  that  date  all  of 
the  traffic  had  depended  upon  sail  propulsion.  One 
can  hardly  realise  to-day  how  considerable  that  trade 
was ;  for  while  Hudson  is  still  a  place  of  man}^  factories 
and  some  business  activity,  it  no  longer  holds  the 
prominent  rank  it  once  did  among  the  river  towns. 

Claverack  Creek  enters  the  river  a  short  distance 
north  of  the  old  city.  Its  name  is  derived  from  Klauver 
Rack,  which  is  the  Dutch  for  Clover  Reach.  Athens,  a 
thri\'ing  little  town  that  was  first  named  Lunenberg  and 


The  Hudson  River 


afterwards  ^]s])eranza,  is  opposite  Hudson  and  eon- 
neeted  ny  icrvy  to  its  more  opulent  vis-a-vis. 

The  high  hill  to  the  south  of  Hudson  is  Mount  Merino, 
and  nearer  at  hand,  within  the  eity,  Prospeet  Hill 
affords  an  outlook  that  embraees  at  onee  the  Catskills, 
the  Green  Mountains,  the  Luzerne  range,  and  the  Hud- 
son Highlands.  The  w^hole  neighbourhood  of  this 
maritime  eity  of  the  inland  waters  is  hilly  and  exeep- 
tionally  beautiful,  while  the  quiet,  tree-shaded  streets 
are  marked  by  a  sedate  New  England  air.  The  family 
names  in  the  direetory  are  mainly  those  that  have  been 
familiar  sinee  the  founders  brought  with  them  the 
energy,  the  conseience,  and  the  thrift  that  built  the 
town.  There  is  to-day  a  conservatism  that  distin- 
guishes the  manners  and  publie  acts  of  the  inhabitants 
of  this  pleasant  city;  it  is,  perhaps,  a  reminiscence  of 
Quaker  habits  of  thought  and  speech.  We  may  only 
conjecture  how  rudely  this  spirit  must  at  times  be 
shocked  by  the  unguarded  humour  of  aliens.  A 
hundred  and  fifteen  years  ago  the  Gazette  of  Hudson 
published,  in  May,  the  following  news  item:  "Robert 
White  was  married  to  Betsie  Harris  on  Tuesday,  May 
I  St.  Who  was  brought  sick  on  Wednesday,  delivered 
of  three  children  on  Thursday,  who  all  died  on  Friday 
and  were  buried  on  Saturday."  And  still  the  local 
authorities  are  uncertain  whether  this  astonishing  state- 
ment may  be  classed  as  a  piece  of  reprehensible  pleas- 
antry or  a  dispensation  of  Providence.  It  will  at  least 
interest  the  student  to  learn  that  at  such  an  early 


Nantucket  Quakers  and  Dutch  Fighters  509 

period  in  its  civic  history,  Hudson  enjo3^ed  the  then 
rare  distinction  of  pubHshing  a  Gazette  devoted  to  kjcal 
affairs. 

A  few  miles  south  of  Hudson,  at  Linhthgo,  is  the 
point  where  Hudson  anchored  the  Half -Moon,  and, 
upon  the  17th  of  September,  sent  his  boats  exploring 
among  the  islands  and  shoals  of  the  upper  reaches.  In 
an  opposite  direction  is  Kinderhook  {Kinder  s  Hoeck), 
where  the  numerous  progeny  of  the  first  settler  so 
swarmed  about  the  water's  edge  when  the  trading 
boats  went  by  that  the  skippers  could  think  of  no 
more  appropriate  name  than  this.  The  present  village 
is  not  on  the  river  shore,  but  is  reached  from  Stuyve- 
sant  landing.  The  Kinderhook  Creek,  a  picturesque 
little  stream,  finds  its  way  to  the  Hudson  at  Columbia- 
ville,  about  midway  between  Stuyvesant  and  the 
county  seat. 

At  Kinderhook,  in  his  countr}^  seat,  Lindenwald, 
Martin  Van  Buren  kept  open  house  for  his  political 
friends.  The  house  was  built  by  Judge  William  P. 
Van  Ness,  the  intimate  associate  of  Aaron  Burr  and 
his  second  in  the  duel  which  resulted  in  the  death  of 
Alexander  Hamilton.  Washington  Irving  was  a  guest 
at  Lindenwald  during  one  period  of  which  we  have 
record,  and  not  improbably  at  other  times.  He  is 
said  to  have  made  there  the  acquaintance  of  the 
school-teacher,  Jesse  Merwin,  who  is  credited  with  be- 
ing the  original  of  the  character  of  Ichabod  Crane 
in  the  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow.    Referring  to  this, 


The  Hudson  River 


Mr.  Harrold  Van  Santvoord,  the  author  of  Half 
Holidays,  wrote,  in  1898: 

After  the  SkctcJi-Book  was  published  it  was  feared  that  the 
caricature  of  Ichabod  Crane  would  occasion  strained  relations 
between  the  honest  schoolmaster  and  his  friend.  It  was  in  a 
spirit  of  playful  humour,  such  as  that  in  which  Butler  burlesqued 
his  host,  Sir  Samuel  Luke,  that  Irving  caricatured  Jesse  Merwin, 
and  the  pedagogue  seemed  to  enjoy  the  grotesque  humour  of  the 
portraiture  as  much  as  the  author  himself.  In  proof  of  his 
affection  he  named  one  of  his  sons  after  his  early  friend,  who  is 
still  living,  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Illinois.  The  remains  of 
Merwin  repose  in  the  village  cemetery,  not  far  from  the  burial 
plot  of  Martin  Van  Buren.  A  few  years  ago  the  plain  slab  with 
its  simple  inscription,  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  was  replaced  by 
a  neat  monument,  and  residents  of  the  village  take  pride  in 
exhibiting  to  strangers  the  grave  of  Ichabod  Crane. 

Coxsackie  station,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  com- 
municates by  ferry  with  the  village  of  that  name  upon 
the  opposite  bank.  The  Iroquois  Indians  called  that 
part  of  the  shore  by  the  descriptive  name  of  Cut  Banks 
(Kuxakee),  because  along  there  the  current  made  a 
marked  depression.  The  older  portion  of  the  town  lies 
well  back  from  the  water,  having  been  built  along  the 
line  of  the  post-road. 

Schodack  means  a  place  of  fire,  or  fire-plain.  Before 
there  was  any  settlement  at  this  point  the  site  was  so 
called  because  there  was  the  ancient  place  for  the 
council  fires  of  the  Mohegans.  Opposite  Schodack  are 
the  considerable  towns  of  New  Baltimore  andCoeymans. 

One  of  the  most  attractive  of  rural  towns  is  Castle- 
ton,  a  place  of  pleasant  houses  and  shaded  streets,  of 


Nantucket  Quakers  and  Dutch  Fighters  511 

thrift}'  gardens  and  trim  orchards,  with  its  main  thor- 
oughfare running  nearly  parallel  with  the  river,  but  a 
short  distance  away.  Near  by  are  those  cliffs  where 
the  eternal  fires  of  the  redskins  burned,  and  where 
ruled  chief  Aepgin,  who  sold  his  land,  "from  Beerin 
Island  to  Smack's  Island,"  to  the  representative  of 
the  Patroon  Van  Rensselaer. 

Beerin,  Beam,  or  Bear  Island,  as  it  has  been  vari- 
ously called,  is  a  little  above  Castleton  and  near  the 
west  bank  of  the  stream.  It  is  from  various  causes  one 
of  the  best  known  of  the  many  islands  that  diversify 
the  river  from  Coxsackie  north  to  the  head  of  nav- 
igation. It  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  birth- 
place of  the  first  white  child  born  to  any  of  the  early 
settlers  upon  the  Hudson,  and  was  also  the  fortified 
place  that  was  so  great  a  bone  of  contention  between 
the  powers  of  the  lower  and  those  of  the  upper  river. 

Irving,  in  one  of  his  maddest  moods,  with  a  refresh- 
ing disregard  for  historical  accuracy,  told  the  story 
of  Bearn  Island,  "  showing  the  rise  of  the  great  Van 
Rensselaer  dynasty  and  the  first  seeds  of  the  Helder- 
berg  war."  Regardless  of  the  fact  that  the  first  Van 
Rensselaer  is  not  known  to  have  visited  in  person  his 
lordly  estate  in  the  New  World,  the  author  of  Knicker- 
bocker describes  his  coming  and  appearance.  It  was 
in  the  time  of  Walter  the  Doubter: 

Now  so  it  happened  that  one  day  as  that  most  dubious  of 
governors  and  his  burgermeesters  were  smoking  and  pondering 
over  the  affairs  of  the  province,  they  were  roused  by  the  report 


The  Hudson  Ri\cr 


of  a  cannon.  Sallying  forth,  they  beheld  a  strange  vessel  at 
anchor  in  the  bav.  It  was  unquestionably  of  Dutch  build, 
broad-bottonicd  and  liigh  ])oo])cd,  and  bore  the  flag  of  their  High 
Mightinesses  at  the  mast-head. 

After  a  while  a  boat  put  off  for  land,  and  a  stranger  stepjjed 
on  shore,  a  lofty,  lordly  kind  of  man,  tall  and  dry,  with  a  meagre 
face,  furnished  with  huge  moustaches.  He  was  clad  in  Flemish 
doublet  and  hose,  and  an  insufferably  tall  hat,  with  a  cocktail 
feather.  Such  was  the  patroon  Killian  Van  Renselaer,  who  had 
come  out  from  Holland  to  found  a  colony  or  patroonship  on  a 
great  tract  of  wild  land,  granted  to  him  by  their  High  Mighti- 
nesses, the  Lords  States  General,  in  the  upper  regions  of  the 
Hudson. 

Killian  Van  Rensselaer  was  a  nine  days'  wonder  in  New  Am- 
sterdam; for  he  carried  a  high  head,  looked  down  upon  the 
portly,  short-legged  burgomasters,  and  owned  no  allegiance  to 
the  governor  himself;  boasting  that  he  held  his  patroonship 
directly  from  the  Lords  States  General. 

He  did  not  tarry  long  (in  the  httle  city  that  he  actu- 
ally never  visited,  and  v^here  he  would  have  disdained 
to  beat  up  recruits  for  his  colony,  which  the  reader 
knows  actually^  antedated  that  of  New  Amsterdam), 
but  ]:)ushed  on  up  the  river,  from  whence  reports  of  his 
doings  were  brought  to  the  ears  of  the  jealous  Governor. 

At  length  tidings  came  that  the  patroon  of  Rensselaerswyk 
had  extended  his  usurpations  along  the  river,  beyond  the  limits 
granted  him  by  their  High  Mightinesses :  that  he  had  even  seized 
upon  a  rocky  island  in  the  Hudson,  commonly  known  by  the 
name  of  Bearn  or  Bear's  Island,  where  he  was  erecting  a  fortress 
to  be  called  by  the  lofty  name  of  Rensselaerstein. 

Wouter  Van  Twiller  was  roused  by  this  intelligence.  After 
consulting  with  his  burgomasters,  he  dispatched  a  letter  to  the 
patroon  of  Rensselaerswyk,  demanding  by  what  right  he  had 
seized  upon  this  island,  which  lay  beyond  the  bounds  of  his  pa- 
troonship.   The  answer  of  Killian  V an  Rensselaer  was  in  his  own 


Nantucket  Quakers  and  Dutch  Fighters  5^3 


lordly  style,  ''By  ivapcn  reditu'  that  is  to  say,  by  the  right 
of  arms,  or,  in  common  parlance,  by  club-law.  This  answer 
plunged  the  worthy  Wouter  into  one  of  the  deepest  doubts  he 
encountered  in  the  whole  course  of  his  administration ;  but  while 
he  doubted,  the  lordly  Killian  went  on  to  complete  his  sturdy 
little  castellum  of  Rensselaerstein.  This  done,  he  garrisoned  it 
with  a  number  of  his  tenants  from  the  Helderberg,  a  mountain 
region,  famous  for  the  hardest  heads  and  hardest  fists  in  the 
province.  Nicholas  Koorn,  his  faithful  squire,  accustomed  to 
strut  at  his  heels,  wear  his  cast-off  clothes,  and  imitate  his  lofty 
bearing,  was  established  in  this  post  as  wacht  meester.  His  duty 
it  was  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  river,  and  oblige  every  vessel  that 
passed,  unless  on  the  service  of  their  High  Mightinesses,  the 
Lords  States  General  of  Holland,  to  strike  its  flag,  lower  its 
peak,  and  pay  toll  to  the  lord  of  Rensselaerstein. 

William  Kieft — "William  the  Testy" — succeeded 
Walter  the  Doubter,  and  still  the  afTair  of  Bearn  Island 
was  unsettled,  that  is  to  say,  unsettled  to  any  liking 
but  that  of  the  patroon.  The  irritable  soul  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, we  are  informed,  winced  at  the  very  name  of 
Rensselaerstein. 

Now  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  a  fine  sunny  day  the  Company's 
yacht,  the  Half -Moon,  having  been  on  one  of  its  stated  visits  to 
Fort  Aurania,  was  quietly  tiding  it  down  the  Hudson;  the  com- 
mander, Govert  Lockerman,  a  veteran  Dutch  skipper  of  few 
words  but  great  bottom,  was  seated  on  the  high  poop,  quietly 
smoking  his  pipe,  under  the  shadow  of  the  proud  flag  of  Orange, 
when,  on  arriving  abreast  of  Bearn  Island,  he  was  saluted  bv  a 

stentorian  voice  from  the  shore,  "  Lower  thy  flag,  and  be  d  d 

to  thee!" 

Govert  Lockerman,  without  taking  his  pipe  out  of  his  mouth, 
turned  up  his  eye  from  under  his  broad-brimmed  hat  to  see  who 
hailed  him  thus  discourteously.  There,  on  the  ramparts  of  the 
fort,  stood  Nicholas  Koorn,  armed  to  the  teeth,  flourishing  a 

33 


514 


The  Hudson  River 


brass-hilted  sword,  wliile  a  steeple-crowned  hat  and  cock's  tail- 
featlier,  formerly  worn  by  Killian  Van  Rensselaer  himself,  gave 
an  inexpressible  loftiness  to  his  demeanour. 

Go  vert  Lockerman  eyed  the  warrior  from  top  to  toe,  but  was 
not  to  be  dismayed.  Taking  the  pipe  slowly  out  of  his  mouth, 
"To  whom  should  I  lower  my  flag?"  demanded  he. 

"To  the  high  and  mighty  Killian  Van  Rensselaer,  the  lord  of 
Rensselaerstein !  "  was  the  reply. 

"  I  lower  it  to  none  but  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  my  masters, 
the  Lords  States  General."  So  saying  he  resumed  his  pipe,  and 
smoked  with  an  air  of  dogged  determination. 

Bang!  went  a  gun  from  the  fortress;  the  ball  cut  both  sail  and 
rigging.  Govert  Lockerman  said  nothing,  but  smoked  the  more 
doggedly. 

Bang!  went  another  gun,  the  shot  whistling  close  astern. 

"Fire  and  be  d  d,"  cried  Govert  Lockerman,  cramming  a 

new  charge  of  tobacco  in  his  pipe  and  smoking  with  still  increas- 
ing vehemence. 

Bang!  went  a  third  gun.  The  shot  passed  over  his  head, 
tearing  a  hole  in  the  "princely  flag  of  Orange."  This  was  the 
hardest  trial  of  all  for  the  pride  and  patience  of  Govert  Locker- 
man: he  maintained  a  smothered,  though  swelling  silence,  but 
his  smothered  rage  might  be  perceived  by  the  short,  vehement 
puffs  of  smoke  he  emitted  from  his  pipe  as  he  slowly  floated  out 
of  shot  and  out  of  sight  of  Bearn  Island.  In  fact,  he  never  gave 
vent  to  his  passion  until  he  got  fairly  among  the  Highlands  of 
the  Hudson;  when  he  let  fly  a  whole  volley  of  Dutch  oaths, 
which  are  said  to  linger  to  this  very  day  among  the  echoes  of  the 
Dunderberg,  and  to  give  particular  effect  to  the  thunderstorms 
in  that  neighbourhood. 

How  William  the  Testy  took  the  news  of  this  out- 
rage, how  he  sent  Lockerman  back  on  a  mission  that 
failed  because  the  honest  envo}'  could  not  understand 
certain  cabalistic  signs  made  by  the  commander  of  the 
fort  (which  consisted  of  waving  all  the  fingers  of  the 
right  hand,  the  while  the  thumb  pointed  to  the  nose), 


Nantucket  Quakers  and  Dutch  Fighters  515 

and  how  the  whole  quarrel  finally  simmered  down  and 
died  out,  are  told  in  the  same  racy  fashion,  and  the 
narrative  is  altogether  more  vivid  and  more  easy  to 
remember  and  believe  than  many  a  sober  page  of 
history. 

The  sober  page  of  history  relates  that  the  Dutch 
built  their  first  fort  on  the  Hudson  in  16 14  upon  an 
island  at  the  mouth  of  Norman  s  Kill,  and  named  the 
island  Kasteel,  or  Castle,  from  which  Castleton  derives 
its  name.  An  actual  altercation  between  the  Director 
at  New  Amsterdam  and  the  patroon  s  agent  at  Rens- 
selaerswyck furnished  the  basis  for  Irving 's  lively  sketch. 

The  low  bar  that  for  many  years  impeded  navigation 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Castleton,  together  with  num- 
erous other  flats  and  obstructions,  led  to  the  construc- 
tion, by  the  Government,  in  1868,  of  dykes  to  protect 
the  channel,  which  has  been  deepened  by  dredging  as 
far  as  the  State  dam  at  Troy. 

Near  Castleton  flows  the  delightful  stream  known  as 
Mourdener  s  Kill,  or  Creek.  Its  legend  is  a  dreadful 
story  of  Indian  cruelty.  A  girl,  captured  by  the  sav- 
ages, was  tied  by  them  to  a  horse,  that  was  then  lashed 
into  frenzy  and  dashed  awa}^  dragging  the  victim  till 
life  had  long  been  extinct. 


Chapter  XXXI 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 

LEiWING  ont  of  our  reckoning  the  Frenchmen 
who  are  supposed  to  have  built  a  "  castle"  on 
the  site  about  the  year  1540,  Albany  is  one  of 
the  oldest  settlements  made  by  white  men  in  America. 
Its  only  rivals  in  age  are  Jamestown  and  one  or  two 
of  the  Spanish  towns  of  the  far  south.  The  genesis  of 
its  history  will  be  found  in  the  little  trading  station 
called  Fort  Orange,  which  was  established  in  16 14. 
The  hardiness  of  the  pioneers  who  gained  this  foothold 
in  the  remote  wilderness  may  only  be  estimated  when 
we  recall  the  fact  that  the  nearest  neighbours  of  their 
own  blood  were  more  than  three  thousand  miles  dis- 
tant and  that  the  ocean  lay  between. 

The  story  of  the  tenure  of  that  outpost  may  best  be 
told  in  the  words  of  a  petition 

of  the  Patroon  and  Co-directors  of  the  Colonie  called  Renssel- 
aers-Wyck,  situate  along  the  North  river  in  New  Netherland,  to 
the  effect  that  the  Freedoms  which  were  granted  to  whomsoever 
should  plant  any  Colonies  in  New  Netherland  being  drawn  up 
and  made  public  in  print  in  the  year  1630,  by  the  Assembly  of 
the  Nineteen  of  the  Incorporated  West  India  Company;  Kiliaen 

516 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


5'9 


van  Rensselaer  did,  in  the  same  year  1630,  purchase  from  the 
owners  and  proprietors,  and  them  paid  for  a  certain  parcel  of 
land,  extending  up  the  river  South  and  North  off  from  Fort 
Orange  unto  a  little  besouth  of  Moeneminnes  Castle;  and  the 
land  called  Semesseeck  lying  on  the  East  bank  opposite  Castle 
Island,  up  unto  the  aforesaid  fort.  Item,  from  Petanoch  the 
millstream  North  unto  Negagonse,  in  extent  about  three  leagues, 
with  all  the  timber,  appendices  and  dependencies  thereof.  And, 
accordingly,  being  entered  into  possession  of  said  lands,  he  had 
there,  at  his  great  cost,  established  a  considerable  Colonic  and 
from  time  to  time  so  improved  it  that  a  village  or  hamlet  was 
founded  there,  first  called  de  Fuyck,  afterwards  Beverswyck  and 
now  Willemstadt,  whereabouts  the  aforesaid  Fort  Orange  was 
formerly  built.  That  said  Rensselaer  and  afterwards  the  Peti- 
tioners, had  also  exercised  there  High,  Middle  and  Low  Juris- 
diction, and  accordingly  appointed  the  necessary  officers  and 
Magistrates  and  enjoyed  all  the  Freedoms,  Rights  and  Privileges 
which  were  granted  by  said  Company  and  you,  High  and  Mighty, 
to  him  Rensselaer  and  other  Patroons  of  Colonies;  that  after- 
wards, the  aforementioned  West  India  Company's  Director  had 
indeed  disquieted  the  Petitioners  in  the  possession  of  the  afore- 
said hamlet  or  village,  leaving  in  the  meanwhile  the  Petitioners 
only  in  the  possession  of  the  remainder  of  their  aforesaid  Colonic. 

That  in  the  year  1664,  New  Netherland  and  consequently  the 
Colonic  aforesaid  fell  and  remained  in  the  hands  of  his  Majesty 
the  King  of  Great  Britain,  when  the  name  of  Albany  was  given 
to  the  aforesaid  Fort  Orange  which  is  situate  in  the  Petitioners' 
aforesaid  Colonic  Rensselaerswyck,  with  said  Colonic  and  other 
lands  lying  thereabout,  until  they  were  again  recovered  by  their 
High  ]\Iightinesses'  glorious  arms. 

The  first  patroon  of  Rensselaerswyck  has  been  the 
WilHam  the  Conqueror  of  Dutch  New  York.  All 
ancient  families  trace  their  descent  from  him,  and  poor 
indeed  is  the  upstart  who  cannot  claim  him  for  an 
ancestor. 


520 


The  Iliulson  River 


In  tlie  days  when  lliat  ''great,  armed,  mereantile 
monopoly,"  as  Mrs.  Lamb  ealled  the  West  India  Com- 
])any,  was  ex])loring  and  ex])loiting  distant  eountries, 
was  making  alHanees  with  something  of  the  assump- 
tion of  independent  sovereignty,  and  eommissioning  its 
admirals  for  foreign  eonquest,  a  member  of  its  govern- 
ing bod}^  one  of  the  all-powerful  Nineteen,  was  Kiliaen 
Van  Rensselaer. 

He  was  a  pearl  merehant,  wealthy  and  well  born,  who 
sent  over  several  of  his  own  ships  with  agents  to  seleet 
territory  for  him.  Three  traets  of  land  were  ehosen, 
one  in  Delaware,  one  in  New  Jersey  (at  Pavonia),  and 
the  third  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Fort 
Orange. 

The  last-named  tract  beeame  in  time  the  site  of  sev- 
eral thriving  cities  and  villages,  among  which  iVlbany, 
Troy,  and  Lansingburg  are  the  most  important.  Under 
the  act  of  1629,  styled  a  "Charter  of  Freedoms  and 
exemptions,"  Van  Rensselaer  secured  his  title  as  pa- 
troon  and  proceeded  to  send  colonists  to  settle  his  land. 
Previous  to  that  time  the  settlers  had  been  traders,  but 
not  colonists. 

The  early  history  of  Beverwyck,  or  Albany,  does  not 
furnish  us  with  any  of  the  thrilling  stories  of  Indian 
cruelty  and  Dutch  retaliation  that  we  read  in  the 
chronicles  of  New  Amsterdam.  While  the  settlers  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river  suffered  from  the  arrow  and  the 
tomahawk,  their  brethren  a  hundred  and  forty  miles 
to  the  north  were  serenely  planting,  building,  and  rais- 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


521 


ing  families.  The  scriptural  injunction  to  be  fruitful 
and  multiply  was  not  neglected,  and  as  every  child  was 
expected  to  set  out  a  sapling  to  mark  its  birthday,  in 
course  of  time  the  town  became  a  vernal  bower. 

There  was  something  very  modern  in  the  way  that 
Van  Rensselaer  built  up  his  domain.  While  other 
colonies  were  either  maintaining  an  apathetic  silence  or 
else  complaining  bitterly  of  the  hardships  of  their  lot 
and  the  difficulty  of  sustaining  life  without  aid  from 
the  company  or  government  that  planted  them,  the 
long  reports  of  the  great  advantages  and  rich  fertility 
of  Rensselaerswyck  stirred  the  imagination  of  many  a 
seventeenth-century  Boer.  Other  ships  might  bring 
provisions  and  encouragement  for  those  already  on  the 
ground,  but  those  of  our  i)atroon  brought  colonists, 
with  implements  for  the  farm,  the  forest,  and  the  mill. 
The  documents  that  have  been  preserved  would  put  to 
shame  most  modern  advertisers. 

Of  course,  the  growth  of  the  up-river  colony  could 
not  be  effected  without  rousing  the  jealous  opposition 
of  the  Company's  director  at  New  Amsterdam.  The 
patroon's  director,  Van  Slechtenhorst,  if  he  did  not 
exceed  the  original  ])atent,  at  least  stretched  it  to  its 
uttermost  limit.  The  fortification  of  Bearn  Lsland, 
undertaken  with  a  view  to  controlling  the  commerce  of 
the  river,  called  forth  a  most  energetic  ]:)rotest  from 
Stuyvesant.  With  singleness  of  puq^ose  he  gave  his 
undivided  attention  to  reducing  this  "government 
within  a  government,"  and  finally  succeeded  in  tem- 


522 


The  Hudson  River 


])orarily  separatin^^  the  x'iUage  of  Beverwyck  from  the 
manor  of  Rensselaerswyck.  But  though  the  Com])any 
had  baeked  the  Governor  in  his  aetion,  the  States- 
General,  before  whom  the  matter  was  finally  brought, 
deeided  that  Fort  Orange  stood  within  the  limits  of  the 
patroon's  estate,  while  the  eorporation  did  not  own  a 
foot  of  land  in  that  part  of  the  country. 

The  seeond  patroon,  also  a  non-resident,  was  Johan- 
nes Van  Rensselaer,  whose  half-brother,  Jan  Baptist, 
succeeded  Van  vSlechtenhorst  as  agent.  Johannes  vis- 
ited his  possessions  on  one  or  two  occasions,  but  re- 
turned to  Holland.  It  was  not  till  the  third  proprietor 
of  this  princely  estate  came  to  his  ow^n  that  the  people 
of  Rensselaerswyck  enjo}^ed  the  novelty  of  having  their 
landlord  make  his  home  among  them. 

There  is  not  space  to  go  into  the  genealogical  records 
of  this  great  family,  or  to  note  the  marriages  by  which 
it  became  allied  with  all  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
colony.  The  Van  Cortlandts,  Schuylers,  Livingstons, 
Nicollses,Wattses,  and  others  were  thus  connected,  and 
formed  an  aristocracy  about  which  cluster  the  tradi- 
tions of  a  day  that  is  dead.  Writing  of  the  pomp  and 
circumstance  attending  the  movements  of  the  Van 
Rensselaer  chief,  Mrs.  Lamb,  the  historian,  says: 

To  many  of  the  present  generation  a  simple  sketch  of  the  style 
of  life  of  these  old  feudal  chieftains  would  read  hke  a  veritable 
romance.  Upon  the  Van  Rensselaer  manor  there  were  at  one 
period  several  thousand  tenants,  and  their  gatherings  were  simi- 
lar to  those  of  the  old  Scottish  clans.  When  a  lord  of  the  manor 
died,  these  people  swarmed  about  the  manor-house  to  do  honour 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


523 


at  the  funeral.  They  regarded  the  head  of  the  family  with  rev- 
erence, a  feeling  shared  by  the  whole  country.  The  manor- 
house  was  well  peopled  with  negro  slaves.  The  manor  always 
had  its  representative  in  the  assembly;  and  whenever  it  was 
announced  in  New  York  that  the  patroon  was  coming  to  the 
city  by  land,  the  day  he  was  expected  crowds  would  turn  out  to 
see  him  drive  through  Broadway  with  his  coach  and  four  as  if 
he  were  a  prince  of  the  blood.  An  actual  glimpse  of  the  Van 
Rensselaer  estate,  in  its  old-time  grandeur,  would  unfold  as  much 
to  astonish  the  progressive  New  Yorkers  of  to-day  as  the 
patroons  of  colonial  memory  would  be  lost  in  wonder  and 
amazement  could  they  but  be  with  us  long  enough  to  cross  the 
Brooklyn  Bridge! 

The  great  Van  Rensselaer  manor-house,  long  con- 
sidered the  most  palatial  dwelling  in  the  New  World, 
and  noted  for  the  princely  character  of  its  entertain- 
ments, was  built  by  Stephen,  the  fourth  patroon.  His 
wife  was  Catherine,  the  daughter  of  Philip  Livingston, 
signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Their 
son,  born  in  New  Y^ork  City,  was  the  fifth  and  last 
patroon,  known  in  later  life  as  General  Stephen  \"an 
Rensselaer.  He  was  not  only  a  lordly  gentleman,  liv- 
ing according  to  all  the  traditions  of  his  house,  but  was 
also  a  thorough  republican,  enlisted  heart  and  soul  in 
the  cause  of  American  liberty.  No  man  in  the  country 
staked  more  for  conscience  sake  than  he,  for  he  willingly 
relinquished  the  power  and  pomp  that  had  been  the 
vital  atmosphere  of  his  house  for  generations,  to  accept 
the  doctrine  of  the  equality  of  man. 

During  the  War  of  181 2  the  last  patroon  received 
at  the  hands  of  Governor  Tom])kins,  his  ])olitical 


5^4 


The  Iliulson  River 


adx'crsarv,  a  commission  to  command  a  lars^e  body  of 
militia.  IIc^  sli])ulatcd  that  his  assistant  in  command 
should  be  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  the  son  of  his  uncle 
Kilian,  and  at  that  time  Adjutant-General  of  the  State. 
This  Solomon  had  proved  himself  upon  several  occasions 
to  be  a  brave  and  dashing  soldier ;  but  the  most  enter- 
taining of  all  the  stories  told  of  his  adventures  is  the 
one  that  describes  his  marriage  to  his  cousin,  Harriet 
\^an  Rensselaer. 

For  some  reason,  long  forgotten,  the  ])rospective 
bridegroom  had  failed  to  win  the  favour  of  his  aunt, 
the  }^oung  lady's  mother,  who  emphatically  refused 
her  consent  to  the  marriage.  She  was  not  one  whose 
will  was  lightly  disregarded  in  her  household.  Mis- 
tress Harriet,  we  may  well  believe,  was  in  despair  and 
would,  no  doubt,  have  wept  her  pretty  eyes  out  if  she 
had  not  received  secret  comfort  and  encouragement 
from  her  father,  who  was  proud  of  his  handsome  and 
valiant  nephew,  and  promised  to  assist  the  lovers  in 
spite  of  maternal  opposition. 

Having  formed  this  insurrectionary  resolve,  but 
doubting,  evidently,  his  ability  to  cope  openly  with  a 
power  to  which  he  w^as  no  stranger,  Van  Rensselaer  set 
about  accomplishing  his  purpose  without  mmecessary 
publicity.  One  autumn  day,  while  Madame  his  wife 
was  enjoying  her  after-dinner  nap  in  the  library,  he 
gathered  the  \^oung  people  and  their  witnesses  in  an 
adjoining  room  and  smuggled  in  the  minister  to  marry 
them.    The  deep  and  regular  respirations  from  the 


An  Old  Dutch  rown 


525 


library  were  an  immediate  assurance  of  safety,  so  with- 
out delay  or  noise  the  vows  were  made  and  the  cus- 
tomary blessing  pronounced.  But  just  as  the  knot  was 
firmly  tied  and  the  arch- conspirator  was  gleefully  shak- 
ing hands  with  the  domine,  while  the  bride,  half  fright- 
ened, was  clinging  to  the  bridegroom  and  receiving  the 


VAN  RENSSl  l  Al  R   MANOR-HOUSE,  1765 


congratulations  of  the  witnesses,  the  sounds  from  the 
library  suddenly  ceased.  Madame  Van  Rensselaer  was 
waking.  It  is  not  difficult  to  be  brave  before  or  after 
a  crisis.  The  thing  that  is  really  hard  is  to  display 
moral  heroism  at  the  very  mom.ent  of  surprise  or  dan- 
ger. Tf  Van  Rensselaer  had  had  time  to  consider  this 
he  would,  no  doubt,  have  stayed  and  faced  the  situa- 
tion, but  as  it  was,  no  one  paused  to  consider.  Out  of 
a  back  window  they  fled,  the  bride  and  the  bridegroom, 
the  witnesses  and  the  domine — even  Van  Rensselaer 


5^6 


The  Hudson  River 


pcrc  himself.  In  a  ])anic  they  eseaped,  Hke  boys  from 
an  orehard  when  they  hear  the  gardener  eoming,  and 
never  halted  till  they  were  out  of  sight  from  that  side 
of  the  house;  then  the  domine  tried  to  look  dignified 
again,  the  witnesses  smoothed  down  their  ruffled  plum- 
age, the  unele  slapped  his  nephew  and  new-made  son- 
in-law^  on  the  baek  and  swore  that  never  had  there  been 
such  a  wedding  in  Albany  before,  while  the  bride  did 
not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  cry. 

The  generations  of  the  Van  Rensselaers  have  lured 
us  on,  to  the  neglect  of  the  little  city  that  was  incor- 
porated in  1686,  after  the  claims  laid  by  the  patroon 
had  been  finall}^  settled  by  formal  sale  of  his  feudal 
rights  to  Governor  Dongan.  Philip  Schuyler,  the  head 
of  another  ancient  family,  was  the  first  mayor  of  the 
future  capital  of  New  York.  Under  the  Dongan  char- 
ter the  limits  of  the  city  were  included  in  an  area  of 
one  mile  upon  the  river  and  three  and  a  half  miles 
westward.  It  was  not  only  the  centre  of  social  life  and 
the  metropolis  of  trade,  but  also  the  home  of  religious 
authority.  When  the  Dutch  church  was  organised 
there  in  1640,  it  was  the  only  one  on  the  northern  part 
of  the  river  that  had  a  regular  ministry,  and  until  after 
1700  there  was  no  settled  domine  north  of  Esopus 
except  the  pastors  at  Albany  and  Schenectady. 

The  early  ministers  at  Albany  were  Domines  Mega- 
polensis,  Schaats,  Dellius,  Lydius,  Van  Driessen,  Van 
Schie,  Frelinghuysen,  Westerloo,  and  Johnson.  Mega- 
polensis,  ''the  pious  and  well  learned,"  was  the  first 


An  Old  rXitch  Town 


527 


domine  located  in  Albany.  He  arrived  in  1642,  and 
the  church  that  was  erected  for  his  use  stood  back  of 
the  fort  on  what  is  still  called  Church  vStreet.  The  use 
of  this  building  was  discontinued  in  1656,  when  the 
congregation  moved  to  another  edifice,  occupying  the 
intersection  of  State  Street  and  Broadway.  This 
house  was  occupied  till  1806,  when  it  was  torn  down, 
its  bells,  furniture,  and  some  of  the  materials  being 
used  in  a  new  edifice. 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  the  Dutch  church 
owned  all  of  the  city  west  of  Broadway  and  south  of 
Beaver  Street.  It  was  then  and  for  long  afterwards 
known  as  the  Pasture;  indeed,  the  name  is  not  un- 
heard to-day,  even  as  the  leather  district  in  Manhattan 
is  still  called  the  Swamp.  The  streets  that  intersect 
the  Pasture  bear  the  names  of  the  old  Dutch  domines, 
Westerloo,  Lydius,  etc. 

When  one  stands  upon  some  eminence — as  the  tower 
of  the  Capitol — and  looks  out  over  the  city  at  its  num- 
erous churches  and  imposing  cathedrals,  he  wonders 
whether  Domine  Megapolensis  w^ould  be  able  to  dis- 
cover amid  all  those  labyrinths  of  brick  and  stone  the 
place  where  he  expounded  in  Low  Dutch  the  i)rinciples 
of  Calvinism  to  a  congregation  of  hardy  pioneers. 

The  houses  of  the  olden  time,  a  few  of  which  have 
been  spared  for  the  instruction  of  the  present  genera- 
tion, were  part  dwelling,  part  store;  for  the  founders 
of  our  proudest  families  were  never  ashamed  of  the 
means  by  which  they  won  their  wealth,  and  it  was 


The  Hudson  River 


customary  for  a  merchant  to  cou])lc  under  one  roof  his 
residence  and  ])lace  of  business.  The  lofts  were  then 
coninionh'  storehouses,  and  furs  formed  the  largest 
and  most  \^aluable  portion  of  their  contents.  Let  us 
see  who  these  men  of  strong  character  and  abundant 
common-sense  were  in  the  old  days,  when  honest  men 
were  not  afraid  or  ashamed  to  be  "in  trade."  A  list 
of  the  freeholders  of  Albany  for  the  year  1701  includes 
the  names  of  Phili])  and  David  wSchuyler,  Wessel  Ten 
Broeck,  Albert  Rijckman,  Gerrit  Teunise,  Johannes 
Glen,  Harmensen,  Robert  Livingston,  Henry  Van  Dyke, 
Van  Ness,  Van  Slyk,  Van  Epps,  Van  Allen,  Van  Voorst, 
Philipse,  and  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  others.  It 
should  be  a  matter  for  congratulation  that  back  of  the 
proudest  aristocracy  of  New  York  we  find  "the  nobil- 
ity of  labour,  the  long  pedigree  of  toil."  Mrs.  Grant, 
the  "  American  Lady,"  whose  memoirs  are  classic,  says: 
"  The  very  idea  of  being  ashamed  of  anything  that  was 
neither  vicious  nor  indecent  never  entered  the  head  of 
an  Albanian." 

Theirs  must  have  been  an  almost  ideally  peaceable 
life,  neither  too  laborious  nor  given  up  to  repose,  but 
preserving  always  the  happy  medium.  They  culti- 
vated their  gardens — -paas  hloomtjcs  and  cabbages,  no 
doubt,  cheek  by  jowl,  like  the  parlour  and  the  counting- 
house.  The  wilderness  around  Pearl  and  Jonkers  and 
Handlers  Streets  blossomed  with  May  roses  and  tulips, 
and  the  vernal  procession  swept  up  to  the  gates  of  win- 
ter, like  an  army  with  banners;  though  at  the  very 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


529 


doors  of  the  settlers  the  wolf,  actual  as  well  as  meta- 
phorical, was  ready  to  howl  when  the  snow  began  to  fly, 
and  the  deer  came  from  the  forest  to  browse  impar- 
tially upon  tuli])s  and  cabbages,  and  any  intermission 
in  the  daily  fight  against  the  encroaching  wilderness 
meant  a  backsliding  into  original  cussedness. 

One  fact  should  be  recorded  to  the  everlasting  credit 
of  the  x-\lbanians  of  a  century  and  a  half  ago.  They 
had  a  court-house,  it  is  true, — a  room  upon  the  second 
floor  of  a  house  within  the  fort, — but  Vander  Donck, 
the  first  and  at  that  time  the  only  lawyer  of  the  place, 
was  not  permitted  to  practice,  as  there  was  no  one  to 
oppose  him.  The  Schepen  heard  and  decided,  without 
haste  or  delay,  upon  the  few  cases  that  were  brought 
before  him,  ruling  by  a  code  as  simple  and  effectual  as 
that  of  Solomon. 

From  the  pages  of  Dolph  Heyliger  we  may  borrow 
a  vivid  picture  of  the  Albany  of  that  day : 

On  their  arrival  at  Albany,  the  sight  of  Dolph's  companion 
seemed  to  cause  universal  satisfaction.  Many  were  the  greetings 
at  the  river-side,  and  the  salutations  in  the  streets;  the  dogs 
bounded  before  him;  the  boys  whooped  as  he  passed;  every- 
body seemed  to  know  Antony  Vander  Heyden.  Dolph  followed 
on  in  silence,  admiring  the  neatness  of  this  worthy  burgh ;  for  in 
those  days  Albany  was  in  all  its  glory,  and  inhabited  almost  ex- 
clusively by  the  descendants  of  the  original  Dutch  settlers,  not 
having  as  yet  been  discovered  and  colonised  by  the  restless 
people  of  New  England.  Everything  was  quiet  and  orderly; 
everything  was  conducted  calmly  and  leisurely;  no  hurry,  no 
bustle,  no  struggling  and  scrambling  for  existence.  The  grass 
grew  about  the  unpaved  streets,  and  relieved  the  eye  by  its 

refreshing  verdure.    Tall  sycamores  or  pendent  willows  shaded 
34 


530 


The  Hudson  Rixer 


the  liouses,  with  caterpillars  swinging,  in  long  silken  strings,  from 
their  branches;  or  moths,  fluttering  about  like  coxcombs,  in  joy 
at  their  gay  transformation.  The  houses  were  built  in  the  old 
Dutch  stvle,  with  the  gable-ends  towards  the  street.  The  thrifty 
housewife  was  seated  on  a  bench  before  her  door,  in  close-crimped 
cap,  bright-flowered  gown,  and  white  apron,  busily  employed  in 
knitting.  The  husband  smoked  his  pipe  on  the  opposite  bench ; 
and  the  little  pet  negro  girl,  seated  on  the  step  at  her  mistress's 
feet,  was  industriously  plying  her  needle.  The  swallows  sported 
about  the  eaves,  or  skimmed  along  the  streets,  and  brought  back 
some  rich  booty  for  their  clamorous  young;  and  the  little  house- 
keeping wren  flew  in  and  out  of  a  Liliputian  house,  or  an  old 
hat  nailed  against  the  wall.  The  cows  were  coming  home,  low- 
ing through  the  streets,  to  be  milked  at  their  owner's  door;  and 
if,  perchance,  there  were  any  loiterers,  some  negro  urchin,  with 
a  long  goad,  was  gently  urging  them  homewards. 

In  Gorham  A.  Worth  s  Recollections  of  Albany,  pub- 
lished first  in  1 849,  there  is  a  description  of  an  old  Albany 
house,  that  of  Balthazar  Lydius,  who  died  about  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century: 

This  old  gentleman,  if  tradition  may  be  relied  upon,  was  some- 
thing of  a  lion  in  his  day.  He  was  unusually  tall,  raw-boned, 
and  of  a  most  forbidding  aspect — singular  in  his  habits  and 
eccentric  in  his  character — but  independent,  honest,  and  gruff  as 
a  bear.  He  occupied,  at  the  commencement  of  the  present 
[nineteenth]  century,  the  old  and  somewhat  mysterious-looking 
mansion  then  standing  at  the  southeast  corner  of  North  Pearl 
and  State  streets,  and  was,  of  course,  next  door  neighbour,  in  an 
easterly  line,  to  the  old  elm  tree  on  the  corner.  Its  position 
admitted  two  front  gables,  and  two  front  gables  it  had ;  thus  rival- 
ing, if  not  excelling,  in  architectural  dignity  the  celebrated  man- 
sion of  the  Vander  Hey  den  family.  One  front  rested  on  Pearl, 
the  other  on  State.  Each  had  its  full  complement  of  outside 
decorative  adjuncts — namely,  long  spouts  for  the  eaves,  little 
benches  at  the  door,  iron  figures  on  the  wall,  and  a  rooster  on  the 
gable  head. 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


531 


In  a  footnote  the  editor  adds  this  precious  bit  of 
information  regarding  this  house : 

It  is  said  to  have  been  imported  from  Holland,  bricks,  wood- 
work, tiles,  and  ornamental  irons,  with  which  it  was  profusely 
adorned,  expressly  for  the  use  of  the  Rev.  Gideon  Schaets,  who 
came  over  in  1652.  It  is  said  that  the  materials  arrived  simul- 
taneously with  the  pulpit  and  the  old  church  bell  in  1657.  It  is 
supposed  to  have  been  the  oldest  brick  building  in  America  at 
the  time  it  was  demolished  in  1833  to  make  room  for  the  present 
Apothecary's  Hall.  .  .  .  The  Pearl  Street  door  is  said  to 
have  been  used  only  for  the  egress  of  the  dead.  The  orgies  of  a 
Dutch  funeral  are  fast  receding  from  the  memory  of  the  living. 
Few  remain  who  have  witnessed  them.  The  records  of  the 
church  show  the  expenses  of  the  funerals  of  church  paupers  two 
hundred  years  ago  in  rum,  beer,  tobacco,  pipes,  etc. 

Mr.  Worth  mentions  Lydius  Street  as  having  been 
named  for  the  venerable  gentleman  he  described,  but 
the  editor  corrects  him: 

The  street  was  named  in  honour  of  Rev.  John  Lydius  (ancestor 
of  Balthazar),  who  preached  here  from  1700  to  1709.  It  was  the 
camp  ground  of  the  British  armies  in  the  French  and  Indian 
wars.  The  ancient  church  pasture,  which  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Dutch  Church  in  1668,  was  laid  out  into  lots  in  1791, 
and  sold  at  auction.  The  streets  were  named  after  the  domines 
or  ministers  of  that  church.  Beginning  with  Lydius  Street  on 
the  north,  then  Westerlo,  Bassett,  Nucella,  and  Johnson  run- 
ning parallel  with  it.  Among  those  running  north  and  south 
were  Dellius  (pronounced  Dallius  and  now  so  written),  from  Rev. 
Godfrey  Dell,  who  came  over  in  1683;  Frelinghuysen  and  Van 
Schee. 

The  reference  to  the  "  funeral  orgies  "  of  the  Albanian 
Dutch  is  not  fanciful.  The  dood-fcst,  or  dead  feast, 
was  an  estabhshed  custom.    Every  burgher  kept  in  his 


The  Hudson  Ri\er 


cellar  a  cask  of  wine,  s])iced,  for  that  j^articular  occa- 
sion when,  he  ha\'in<2^  gone  the  way  of  all  flesh,  his 
friends  and  neighbours  should  assemble  to  sustain  their 


PLAN  OF  ALBANY,  1695 

grief  with  feasting  and  drinking.  The  table  w^as  loaded 
with  such  delicacies  as  oily-kocks,  dood-kocks,  rolletjcs 
and  bolletjes,  hoofdkaas  and  worst,  with  many  another 
toothsome  concoction,  w^hile  wine  and  beer  flowed 
plentifully.    And  the  women,  who  occupied  a  separate 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


533 


chamber  from  their  men  folk,  sipped  their  burnt  wine 
and  discussed  the  viands  and  their  neighbours.  If  any 
one  went  home  sober  from  a  dood-jest  it  was  not  con- 
sidered a  mark  of  special  virtue. 

But  there  were  livelier  festivals  than  those  incident 
to  the  taking-off  of  honest  and  considerate  burghers. 
Many  an  odd  custom  marked  the  keeping  of  such  holi- 
days as  Kcestijd  (Christmas),  Nieuivjaarsdag,  Paasch- 
dag  (Easter),  and  Pinxterfecst.  Christmas,  to  be  sure, 
w^as  not  held  in  great  esteem,  for  New  Year's  day  was 
the  occasion  upon  which  St.  Nicholas  and  his  vrouw, 
Molly  Grietje,  visited  the  faithful. 

About  the  fireplaces  of  the  old  Albany  houses,  on 
New  Year's  eve,  the  children  stood  a-row  and  sang  the 
time-honoured  verses : 

Santa  Klaus,  goedt  heilig  man! 
Knopyebest  van  Amsterdam, 
Van  Amsterdam  aan  Spanje, 
Van  Spanje  aan  Orange, 
En  brang  deze  kindjes  eenige  graps. 

The  old  custom  of  making  New  Year's  calls  has  con- 
tinued down  to  our  own  day,  dying  hard  after  more 
than  two  centuries  of  use. 

Pinxter  was  the  negroes'  festival,  and  celebrated  by 
the  slaves  under  the  leadership  of  the  Pinxter  King' 
with  wildest  mummeries.  They  paraded  in  grotesque 
costumes  through  the  streets,  varying  their  march  with 
uncouth  dances  and  accompanying  them  with  their  own 
songs.    The  last  of  these  parades  took  place  in  1822. 


534 


The  Hudson  River 


It  is  hard  to  get  away  from  the  thread  of  homely 
yet  dehghtful  Hfe  that  winds  in  and  out  between  the 
landmarks  of  Albany's  history  and  the  biographies  of 
her  many  eminent  men.  We  listen  to  the  eloquence  of 
Jay  or  Livingston,  but  with  an  ear  open  to  catch  the 
crooning  of  a  cradle-song,  somewhere  within  a  gable- 
ended  dwelling,  over  whose  sanded  floor  some  Schuy- 
ler, or  Beekman,  or  Van  Dyke  has  taken  his  first 
tottering  steps  in  infancy. 

How  many  a  small  morsel  of  Dutch  humanity,  nest- 
ling hi3  flaxen  poll  on  his  mother  s  arm,  has  closed  his 
blue  eyes  to  the  music  of 

Trip  a  trop  a  troontjes, 

De  varkens  in  de  boontjes, 

De  koetjes  in  de  klaver, 

De  paarden  in  de  haver, 

De  eenjes  in  de  waterplas, 

De  kalf  in  de  lang  gras, 

So  groot  niijn  kleine  poppet je  was. 

Varkens  are  pigs;  boontjes,  as  every  one  must  know,  is 
the  Dutch  equivalent  for  bean  vines;  and  koetjes  for 
cows.  Klaver  needs  translation  no  more  than  lang 
gras,  or  kalf.  Paarden  are  horses,  eenjes,  ducks;  a 
haver  is  an  oat-field;  and,  of  course,  a  waterplas  is 
a  pond — and  then,  "  So  great  my  little  poppet  was,"  a 
conclusion  illogical  but  dear.  What  a  lullaby  that  was 
commencing : 

Sleep,  baby,  sleep, 

In  the  fields  runs  a  sheep, 

A  sheep  with  four  white  feet. 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


535 


Only  the  baby  of  Saugerties  or  Kingston  or  Albany 
would  have  ruminated  over  the  broader  vowels  of 

Slaap,  kindje,  slaap, 

Daar  buiten  loopt  een  schaap ; 

Een  schaap  met  vier  witte  voetjes. 

To  this  day  the  EngHsh-speaking  mother  talks  to 
her  little  one  about  his  "footies."  Is  it  possibly  an 
echo  of  "  voetjes"?  But  listen  to  the  stamp  and  swag- 
ger and  hustle  that  is  compressed  into  four  lines  here : 

Daar  komt  hij !    Een  snoeshaan  geweldig  gestampen ! 
Een  beest  hij  gebrullen!    Een  mansheeld  gezwollen; 
Een  openhjk  bloodard!    Het  maakt  neen  vershil; 
Het  ware  Jan  van  Spanje  zonder  zijn  briL 

To  the  industry  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Myer  Brink,  the 
historian  of  Saugerties,  is  due  the  collection  of  about 
thirty  of  the  ballads  and  folk-songs  of  the  Dutch  fore- 
fathers of  Hudson  River  folks  from  which  we  have 
borrowed  the  above  verses  and  would  gladly  appro- 
priate more  if  we  had  space.  There  are  songs  for 
nearly  all  the  simple  occasions  of  life, — some  for  the 
cradle,  some  for  the  churn- dasher,  others  for  the  social 
gathering.  Catches,  riddles,  and  homilies  follow  in  all 
their  quaint  orthography.  They  should  have  a  sep- 
arate volume,  with  music  and  illuminations. 

Old  Albany  was  the  fountain-head  of  the  Knicker- 
bocker race,  though  they  who  spell  it  in  this  corru]3t 
way  do  but  deny  the  original,  which  was  Knickker- 
bakker;  that  is  to  say,  a  baker  of  knickers,  or  marbles. 
Some  have  claimed  that  kntcknacks,  such  as  oily-kockSy 


536 


The  Hudson  River 


dood-kocks,  and  niciiwjaarskocks,  rather  than  the  trifl- 
ing kntckcr,  stood  sponsor  to  that  Dutchestof  titles,  and 
that  the  first  Knickerbocker  of  eminence  was  Volckert 
Jan  Pietersen  Van  x\msterdam,  whose  name  was  too 
long  for  even  the  patience  of  his  neighbours,  who 
shortened  it  to  Baas  —  that  is  to  say,  Boss.  If  this 
etymology  be  correct,  Boss  Knickkerbakker  Volckert 
Jan  Pietersen  Van  Amsterdam  seems  to  be  entitled  to 
a  monument  or  other  memorial,  broad  enough  to  bear 
the  full  inscription  of  his  name. 

An  ancient  Albany  tradition  is  that  of  the  witch  who 
visited  his  shop  on  New  Year's  eve  and  demanded  of 
Baas  Jan  a  dozen  New  Year's  cookies.  She  threw  a 
piece  of  wampum  or  seawant  on  the  counter,  and 
watched  the  baker  sharply  as  he  counted  out  twelve 
of  the  cakes. 

"Thirteen,"  she  said.  "I  want  thirteen;  here  are 
only  twelve." 

"  You  said  a  dozen,  and  twelve  are  a  dozen,"  shouted 
Baas. 

"  I  tell  you,  I  want  one  more!"  screamed  the  hag. 

Baas  pointed  to  the  door.  "Go  to  the  Duyvel  and 
get  the  thirteenth!"  he  yelled,  growing  purple  in  the 
face  with  rage. 

The  witch  went  aw^ay,  threatening  the  baker  with 
dire  calamity,  and  her  words  were  not  empty  ones,  as 
the  event  proved,  for  from  that  time  Baas  and  his  poor 
wife  Maritje  knew  no  peace.  For  a  year  everything 
went  wrong.    The  chimney  fell  in,  the  neighbours  fell 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


537 


out,  the  trade  fell  off.  It  was  a  bad  season  and  the 
rotund  baker  and  his  wife  shrank  perceptibly. 

Then  New  Year's  eve  came  again,  and  while  Baas 
stood  behind  his  counter  and  thought  gloomily  of  his 
changed  condition,  suddenly  the  hag  stood  before  him 
once  more. 

"  I  want  a  dozen  New  Year's  cookies,"  she  said. 

One  look  Baas  gave  her,  then  silently  counted  out 
thirteen  of  the  fragrant  cakes. 

"  I  see  that  you  have  learned  your  lesson,"  said  the 
witch.  "  Remember  then  that  henceforth  thirteen 
shall  be  a  baker's  dozen,  and  all  will  prosper  with  you. " 

The  idea  that  this  transaction  should  be  considered 
in  any  way  typical  of  the  union  of  the  thirteen  States 
that  was  to  come  is  held  by  many  Albanians  to  be 
naught  but  superstitious  nonsense. 

For  very  many  years  Albany  was  altogether  a  trad- 
ing city.  Its  inhabitants  took  what  measures  they 
could  to  prevent  the  intrusion  of  aliens,  and,  in  order 
to  secure  the  cream  of  the  traffic  in  peltries,  the  mer- 
chants sent  runners  into  the  wilderness  to  intercept 
Indians  who  might  carry  their  goods  to  other  markets. 
They  owned  a  fleet  of  vessels,  upon  which  all,  or  nearly 
all,  of  the  carrying  trade  of  the  cit}^  was  done.  They 
have  been  charged  with  unfairness  and  craft  in  their 
dealings  with  the  savages,  but  this  animadversion 
seems  to  be  abundantly  refuted  by  the  fact  that  the 
Indians  were  not  only  at  peace  but  \'er}'  friendly  with 
the  Albanians  through  the  troubled  }'Gars  when  other 


538 


The  Hudson  River 


colonists  lived  in  dail\^  terror  of  the  toreh  and  the 
tomahawk. 

Money  was  searee,  and  the  use  of  sea  want  was  legal- 
ised. Six  w^hite  beads  or  three  black  ones  were  accepted 
as  the  equi\^alent  of  one  penny  (stuyvcr).  A  beaver- 
skin  had  also  a  recognised  standard  value  in  exchange, 
and  beaver-skins  w^ere  used  in  payment  of  debts,  rents, 
etc. 

Two  of  the  principal  streets  of  modern  Albany,  State 
Street  and  Broadway,  were  known  in  the  English 
colonial  time  as  King  and  Court  Streets,  and  in  Dutch 
days  as  Jonker  (Young  Gentleman)  and  Handelaer 
Streets.  A  part  of  Broadway  used  to  be  called  North 
Market,  and,  still  earlier.  Brewers  Street. 

At  first  merchandise  used  to  be  conveyed  to  the  ves- 
sels in  skiffs  and  afterw^ards  wharves  were  built  for  the 
convenience  of  shippers. 

At  the  time  of  the  Revolution  three  or  four  Albany 
men  stand  cut  prominently  in  national  annals.  Ganse- 
voort,  President  of  the  Convention  that  adopted  the 
first  constitution  of  the  State,  lived  in  the  old  home- 
stead of  the  Gansevoort  family  that  stood  upon  the 
ground  afterw^ards  occupied  by  Stamvix  Hall.  Philip 
Schuyler,  Philip  Livingston,  and  George  Clinton  were 
the  leaders  of  the  party  that  secured  New  York  State 
to  the  Union.  The  latter,  as  we  have  already  noted, 
was  not  only  the  first  Governor  of  the  State,  but  w^as 
also  an  officer  of  ability  and  courage,  whose  service  in 
the  Continental  army  w^as  of  untold  value.    Philip  Liv- 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


539 


ingston  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  Philip  Schuyler,  the  son  of  an  old  and 
honoured  race,  was  a  man  not  only  of  intense  patriot- 
ism and  splendid  personal  character,  but  of  rare  ability. 

The  great  influence  which  General  Schuyler  pos- 
sessed with  the  Indians,  though  often  neutralised  by 
the  Johnsons,  yet  in  a  great  measure  pacified  and  kept 
in  check  the  Mohawks  during  the  Revolution.  To  him 
was  given  the  task  of  watching  Governor  Tryon  on  the 
south,  the  British  and  Indian  force  under  Colonel  Guy 
Johnson  at  the  west,  and  the  enemy  that  menaced  the 
northern  frontier.  He  led  the  advance  upon  Quebec 
until  forced  by  illness  to  resign  his  command  to  the 
unfortunate  Montgomer}^  His  was  the  labour  of  pro- 
visioning the  posts  upon  Lake  Champlain.  In  fact, 
there  was  hardly  a  man  in  the  American  army,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Commander-in-chief,  upon  whom 
rested  so  many  and  varied  responsibilities,  and  who 
could  so  combine  skill,  forethought,  and  energy  with 
an  almost  boundless  patience. 

To  meet  the  army  of  Burgoyne,  which,  in  1777,  ad- 
vanced from  Canada  to  effect  a  union  with  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  Schuyler  used  not  only  the  means  at  hand, 
but  pledged  his  private  fortune  for  the  equipment  of 
his  forces.  He  made  the  preparations  that  enabled 
Gates  to  win  a  signal  victory  over  Burgoyne  at  Sara- 
toga, yet  retired  without  complaint  and  permitted  one 
who  constantly  tried  to  undermine  him  to  enjoy  the 
honours  of  that  victory. 


540 


The  Hudson  River 


Schuyler's  ])ro])crty  had  been  destroyed  and  his 
house  at  Sehuylersville  burned  by  Burgoyne,  yet  after 
the  latter  s  fall,  when  he  had  been  brought  a  ])risoner 
to  Albany,  it  was  at  the  Sehuyler  house  that  he  found 
entertainment  for  himself  and  his  family ;  and  it  is  said 
that  the  noble  hospitality  of  his  host  moved  him  to 


SCHUYLER  MANSION,  lybO 


tears.  Baroness  Reidesel  and  Lady  Harriet  Aekland 
were  among  those  who  accompanied  the  vanquished 
British  General,  and  the  former  has  left  on  record  an 
eulogium  upon  the  character  and  generosity  of  her 
entertainer. 

There  have  been  three  Schuyler  houses  that  have 
lasted  until  the  present  day  to  puzzle  the  searcher  after 
landmarks.    The  home  of  General  Philip  Schuyler  has 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


541 


been  thus  described  by  Frederic  G.  Mather  in  an  article 
written  for  the  Magazine  of  American  History  in  1884: 

The  Albany  of  the  Revolution  was  still  a  stockaded  city.  To 
the  northward  were  "tlie  flats,"  to  the  southward  were  "the 
pastures,"  where  the  city  herdsmen  cared  for  the  cattle  and 
drove  them  home  at  night.  At  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  from 
the  stockade,  and  just  l)eyond  the  pastures,  stood  the  mansion 
of  General  Schuyler.  It  was  of  honest  brick  throughout,  and 
not,  like  most  of  the  city  houses,  a  wooden  structure  with  a  ven- 
eered front  of  bricks  "brought  from  Holland."  To-day  the  walls 
and  the  oaken  window-sills  show  no  reason  why  they  might  not 
last  for  centuries  to  come,  unless  the  onward  march  of  business 
shall  demand  the  destruction  of  the  relic.  So  long  as  it  lasts,  the 
Schuyler  mansion  stands  as  a  link  between  the  past  and  the 
present. 

An  effort  to  capture  General  Schuyler  at  his  home 
was  made  at  one  time  by  a  band  of  Tories  and  Indians, 
who  surrounded  the  house  and  forced  an  entrance  be- 
fore the  inmates  could  effect  their  escape.  When  the 
latter  had  reached  the  upper  floor,  Mrs.  Schuyler  dis- 
covered that  her  infant,  Catherine,  had  been  left  in  a 
room  upon  the  lower  floor  and  would  have  returned 
for  it  if  the  General  had  not  forcibly  detained  her.  The 
savages  and  their  allies  were  now  in  the  house,  pillag- 
ing the  dining-room  of  the  rich  plate  it  contained. 

Unobserved  in  the  turmoil,  Margaret,  one  of  General 
Schuyler's  daughters,  slipped  away  and  rescued  the 
infant,  though  she  narrowly  missed  death  from  a  toma- 
hawk thrown  by  one  of  the  Indians  as  she  was  ascend- 
ing the  stairs.  A  Tory,  taking  her  for  one  of  the 
servants,  called  out,  "  Wench,  where  is  \'our  master? ' ' — 


542 


The  Hudson  River 


"Gone  to  alarm  the  town,"  was  the  ready  answ^er. 
Schu\'lcr,  hearing  this,  aeted  upon  the  hint,  and,  ])ut- 
ting  his  head  out  of  a  window,  ealled  as  though  to  a 
large  body  of  men,  to  surround  the  house  and  capture 
the  rascals;  upon  w^hich  the  invaders  fled,  but,  unfor- 
tunateh^  took  the  plate  with  them. 

Alexander  Hamilton  married  Elizabeth  Schuyler, 
and  was  counted  by  the  General  as  one  of  his  dearest 
friends.  When  Aaron  Burr  came  first  to  practise  in 
Albany  he  was  befriended  by  Schuyler,  to  whom, 
through  Hamilton,  he  was  destined  to  deal  one  of  the 
gravest  blows  he  could  endure. 

Among  the  chief  of  those  interested  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  great  waterway  which  we  moderns  know  as 
the  Erie  Canal,  but  w^hich  to  the  wiseacres  and  wits  of 
that  day  was  familiar  as  Clinton's  Ditch,  Schuyler 
made,  in  company  with  Clinton  and  one  or  two  others, 
a  long  horseback  journey  over  the  course  now  followed 
by  the  canal. 

The  names  of  those  that  Albany  delights  to  honour 
are  legion.  We  have  mentioned  but  a  few  of  them,  and 
those  with  a  brevity  for  which  the  scope  and  variety 
of  the  subject-matter  of  this  book  must  be  the  excuse. 

After  the  Revolution,  in  1797,  Albany  was  made  the 
permanent  State  capital  of  New  York,  and  its  import- 
ance from  a  political  point  of  view  drew  to  it  many 
men  of  ability  and  reputation;  but  its  growth  in  ]:)opu- 
lation  was  not  rapid  until  after  the  advent  of  the  steam- 
boat and  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  which  has 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


543 


its  terminus  at  the  northern  end  of  the  city.  During 
the  years  1797  and  1848  two  wide-spread  fires  did  a 
great  deal  of  damage. 

The  city  has  four  or  five  miles  of  water-front,  and  for 
several  hundred  feet  back  from  the  river  the  ground  is 
low  and  nearly  level,  so  that 
when  the  water  rises  by  reason 
of  an  ice-dam  or  from  some 
other  cause,  it  frequently 
overflows  the  lower  streets, 
and  in  former  yesivs  wrought 
great  havoc  at  times.  There 
are  still  living  those  who  can 
recall  how,  during  one  spring 
freshet,  a  schooner  floated  in  from  the  river  and  was 
found,  when  the  waters  had  subsided,  high  and  dry  on 
State  Street. 

i\s  a  curious  anti-climax  to  the  feudal  system  under 
which  the  people  of  Rensselaerwyk  lived  prior  to  the 
War  for  Independence,  there  occurred  in  the  early  half 
of  the  nineteenth  century  an  agitation  known  as  the 
anti-rent  war,  that  stirred  Albany  and  the  surrounding 
country  for  many  years. 

This  trouble  was  the  result  of  a  persistent  effort  on 
the  part  of  the  heirs  of  the  Van  Rensselaer  estate  to 
collect  rents  which  they  claimed  as  their  due  upon  pro- 
perty formerly  a  part  of  that  domain.  The  tenants  as 
persistently  resisted,  denying  the  claim.  When  the 
sheriff  and  his  posse  attempted  to  enforce  an  order  in 


544 


The  Hudson  River 


favour  of  the  landlords  a  riot  ensued.  This  ex])erience 
was  several  times  repeated,  and  the  militia  was  ealled 
into  ser\'iee  to  quell  what  bid  fair  to  be  an  insurrection. 
In  man}^  respects  this  trouble  formed  a  parallel  to  those 
disturbances  that  have  marked  the  relations  of  land- 
lord and  tenant  in  Ireland.  In  a  mock-heroic  poem  of 
ninety- three  cantos,  written  after  the  style  of  Hudi- 
bras,  and  published  anonymously  in  1855,  H.  R.  School- 
craft apotheosised  the  heroes  of  the  anti-rent  war,  and 
pictures,  among  other  things,  the  tarring  and  feather- 
ing of  the  sheriff. 

The  anti-rent  trouble  was  finally  settled,  in  1852,  by 
the  State,  w^hich  issued  titles  in  fee  simple  to  those  in 
actual  possession  of  the  disputed  property. 

Other  feuds  marked  the  middle  period  in  Albany's 
history,  the  transition  stage  between  a  somewhat  over- 
grown village  and  the  city  of  a  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants. For  instance,  there  was  the  great  battle  on 
State  Street,  in  which  the  principal  actors  were  John 
TaAder  and  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  a  num- 
ber of  lesser  combatants  participating.  The  fray  oc- 
curred in  1807,  and  was  occasioned  by  some  caustic 
resolutions  presented  at  a  Republican  meeting  and 
aimed  at  General  Van  Rensselaer  and  his  fellow  Fed- 
eralists. Mr.  Elisha  Jenkins  was  the  secretary  of  the 
meeting,  and  as  he  walked  the  next  day  on  State  Street 
the  angry  General  overtook  and  caned  him.  Later  in 
the  day  the  Governor  and  the  General  met,  almost  in 
front  of  the  former's  house,  and  the  civil  officer  took 


An  Old  Dutch  Town  545 

the  other  severely  to  task  for  his  assauh  upon  Mr. 
Jenkins.  In  a  moment  the  two  irate  partisans  had 
squared  off  for  an  encounter  in  which  every  one  with- 
in sight  or  hearing  seems  to  have  taken  a  hand.  Dr. 
Cooper  and  Mr.  Frank  Bloodgood,  both  connections  of 
the  Governor,  were  in  the  thick  of  the  fracas,  the  last- 
named  dealing  a  blow  from  behind  that  completely 
felled  Van  Rensselaer.  Even  Tayler's  daughter,  Mrs. 
Cooper,  was  numbered  among  the  combatants.  When 
the  opposing  forces  were  at  last  separated,  the  parties 
began  to  think  of  legal  redress  for  the  hurts  they  had 
received,  and  a  number  of  lawsuits  was  the  outcome 
of  the  matter.  It  is  interesting  to  note  how  impar- 
tially the  arbitrators  in  the  case — Simeon  de  Witt, 
James  Kane,  and  John  Van  Schaick — distributed  the 
damages  for  assault: 


Jenkins  against  Van  Rensselaer   $2500 

Van  Rensselaer  against  Tayler   300 

Van  Rensselaer  against  Cooper   500 

Van  Rensselaer  against  Bloodgood   3700 


From  w^hich  it  appears  that  the  General,  w^ho  com- 
menced the  affray,  had  his  wounds  salved  to  the  ex- 
tent of  two  thousand  dollars,  net. 

A  perpetual  warfare  was  waged,  something  over  half 
a  century  ago,  between  the  juvenile  portion  of  the 
community  residing  on  the  hill  (Arbor  Hill  being  par- 
ticularly meant)  and  those  who  lived  under  the  hill. 
They  had  no  dealings  with  each  other  except  for  war- 
like encounters,  and  woe  to  any  urchin  who  was  found 
35 


546 


The  Hudson  River 


alone  by  those  of  the  opposing  eamp.  How  this  deep 
and  long-eontinued  animosity  eommeneed  history  does 
not  relate,  but  many  an  old  Albanian  will  recolleet  the 
eneounters  that  took  plaee  between  the  "hillers"  and 
their  adversaries,  and  recall,  perhaps,  the  names  of 
leaders  more  famous  in  their  generation  than  any 
Schuyler  or  Clinton  who  ever  guided  the  councils  of 
the  State. 

Mr.  Gorham  A.  Worth,  already  quoted  in  this  chap- 
ter, has  given  a  list  of  the  men  who  seemed  to  him  most 
prominent  in  the  city  at  that  time.  They  were  George 
Clinton ;  John  Tayler,  who  was  Lieutenant-Governor  of 
the  State  and  acting  in  Governor  Tompkins's  place  after 
the  latter 's  election  to  the  Vice-Presidency;  Ambrose 
Spenser,  Attorney-General  and  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court;  James  Kent;  Chancellor  Lansing;  Abraham 
Van  Vechten;  John  V.  Henry;  John  Woodworth; 
Thomas  Tillotson,  Secretary  of  State  in  1801-07  ;  Abra- 
ham G.  Lansing;  Elisha  Jenkins,  a  merchant,  of  the 
Hudson  family  of  that  name;  Edmond  Charles  Genet; 
and  Solomon  Southwick,  editor  of  the  Albany  Register. 
This,  it  will  be  understood,  is  only  a  very  partial  list 
of  the  Albany  celebrities  of  the  time,  yet  it  furnishes 
a  clue  to  the  character  and  standing  of  the  men  who 
constituted  the  better  element  of  society  at  the  State 
capital  two  generations  ago. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  level  strip  of  low  land  bor- 
dering the  river  for  several  miles.  Back  of  this  rise, 
almost  abruptly,  four  hills,  separated  by  ravines  and 


An  Old  Dutch  Town  547 


attaining  a  height  of  from  two  to  three  hundred  feet. 
Prospect  Hill  is  the  highest  of  these.  There  are  many 
narrow  streets,  paved  as  of  old  with  cobblestones,  to 
remind  us  of  a  former  day;  but  there  are  also  some 
noble  thoroughfares,  chief  among  them  being  State 
Street,  which  is  accounted  one  of  the  broadest  streets  in 
the  country,  and  was,  until  quite  recently,  only  second 
to  Pennsylvania  Avenue  in  Washington. 

The  chief  object  that  challenges  the  attention  from 
State  Street,  and,  indeed,  the  principal  attraction  of 
Albany  to  strangers,  is,  of  course,  the  Capitol.  Its 
architectural  beauty  and  commanding  position  con- 
spire to  render  it  one  of  the  most  imposing  buildings  in 
the  world.  The  effect  of  the  steep  approach  is  aug- 
mented by  the  pyramidal  tiers  of  steps,  up  which  a 
regiment  might  pass  with  unbroken  ranks.  The  struc- 
ture is  of  Maine  granite,  built  in  the  style  of  the  French 
renaissance,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  tower  and  dome, 
from  which  the  eye  may  sweep  over  sixty  miles  of 
country  to  rest  upon  the  blue  profiles  of  the  Catskills, 
or  follow  the  windings  of  the  river,  or  return  to  trace 
the  streets  that  are  spread  like  a  map  at  our  feet. 

There  is  the  City  Hall,  that  was  built  in  1882,  carry- 
ing in  the  spirit  of  its  architectural  design  a  suggestion 
of  the  Hollandish  origin  of  the  city.  There  are  the  two 
cathedrals — one  to  the  north  and  the  other  southward 
— and  numerous  churches  that  testify  to  the  religious 
sentiment  still  animating  the  descendants  and  succes- 
sors of  those  who  nodded  to  the  preaching  of  Domine 


548 


The  Hudson  River 


Megapolensis.  There  are  the  four  hbraries,  the  num- 
erous educational  institutions,  the  Dudley  Observatory 
that  was  opened  with  sueh  a  flourish  of  trumpets  in 
1856,  the  numerous  houses  of  a  publie  character,  and 
the  residences  of  prominent  citizens  of  the  past  and 
the  present.  On  the  outskirts  of  the  town  hangs  a 
cloud  of  smoke  from  its  blast-furnaces  and  factories, 
and  at  its  wharves  are  the  great  lumber  yards  that  con- 
tribute to  its  industry. 

The  Capitol  was  commenced  in  1881  and  completed 
at  a  cost  to  the  State  of  twenty-one  million  dollars,  and 
is  of  such  noble  proportions  that  its  mere  bulk  alone  is 
impressive.  The  main  structure  is  three  hundred  by 
four  hundred  feet  on  the  floor  plan,  with  walls  that 
rise  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  from  water-table  to 
cornice.  It  contains  chambers  ample  for  all  the  de- 
partments and  business  of  the  government,  besides 
housing  the  magnificent  State  Library,  with  its  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  volumes  and  its  collection 
of  priceless  manuscripts  and  documents  relative  to  the 
history  of  the  State. 

In  these  few  notes  upon  the  history  and  the  legends 
of  a  fascinating  old  city  we  have  hardly  opened  the 
subject.  The  records  are  so  full  and  rich,  the  tradi- 
tions so  abundant  and  so  varied,  that  it  is  with  deep 
regret  and  the  sense  of  a  pleasant  task  left  uncom- 
pleted that  the  chronicler  closes  this  chapter. 

Albany  has,  within  comparatively  a  short  time, 
taken  a  new  start,  and  in  public  improvements  and  new 


An  Old  Dutch  Town 


549 


buildings,  as  well  as  in  a  marked  increase  in  business, 
gives  evidence  of  having  commenced  with  the  new 
century  a  new  epoch  in  its  life.  i\mong  the  causes 
suggested  for  the  rapid  increase  in  population  is  an 
improved  water  supply.  New  life  has  been  infused 
into  a  formerly  inactive  chamber  of  commerce,  and 
whereas  a  few  years  ago  business  enterprise  was  in 
many  quarters  somewhat  conspicuous  by  its  absence, 
now  there  is  evidence  of  more  stirring  activity.  The 
first  change  in  Albany's  life  occurred  when  the  New 
England  element  came  in  and  began  to  mingle  with 
the  Dutch  and  the  dogs  began  to  bark  in  broken  Eng- 
lish." The  second  period  ended  with  the  appearance 
of  the  river  steamboat;  the  third  seems  to  have  given 
place  to  a  fourth,  the  cause  or  causes  yet  unknown. 


Chapter  XXXII 


Above  Tide-Water 

TROY  and  the  Trojans  were  primarily  of  New 
England  origin,  and  this  difference  in  blood 
has  perhaps  been  the  cause  of  not  a  little  of 
the  lack  of  affiliation  between  the  city  that  rests  on 
Mount  Ida  and  Mount  Olympus  and  its  neighbour  of 
Dutch  descent,  six  miles  to  the  south. 


ALONG  THE  RIVER  BELOW  TROY 


Troy  is  the  capital  of  Rensselaer  County,  the  head  of 
tide- water  in  the  Hudson,  the  site  of  the  State  dam 
and  of  various  manufacturing  concerns.  It  is  a  busy 
place  and  owes  much  of  its  prosperity  to  the  Erie, 
Hudson,  and  Champlain  canals.  Its  shipping  is  con- 
siderable, and,  with  the  neighbouring  towns  of  Cohoes, 
Lansingburg,  etc.,  its  population  reaches  about  the 
figure  at  which  the  census  fixes  that  of  Albany. 

Its  first  proprietor  was  one  Vander  Heyden,  who  re- 

550 


Above  Tide-Water 


551 


ceived  it  from  the  Patroon  Van  Rensselaer  in  1720. 
About  1787  the  site  of  the  future  city  was  laid  out  in 
town  lots.  At  West  Troy — or  Watervliet — in  1813, 
the  United  States  Government  purchased  ground  upon 
which  was  established  an  arsenal,  near  the  present  east 
bank  of  the  Erie  Canal.  Several  widely  known  educa- 
tional establishments  add  interest  to  a  city  that  is  not 
devoid  of  beauty,  though  lacking  the  charm  of  many 
a  Hudson  River  town. 

For  many  years  the  Poestenkill  and  Wynant's  Kill, 
which  enter  the  river  at  this  place,  have  furnished  a 
great  deal  of  the  water-power  for  the  local  mills.  The 
largest  of  the  Hudson's  tributaries,  the  Mohawk,  adds 
its  volume  to  our  river  a  few  miles  above  Troy. 

The  course  of  the  Hudson  above  tide- water  may  be 
briefly  outlined  here.  Its  north  branch  rises  in  Indian 
Pass,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Mclntyre,  in  the  Adiron- 
dacks;  and  the  east  branch  has  its  source  in  the 
lake  called  ''Tear  of  the  Clouds,"  above  which  rises 
Mount  Tahawas,  fifty -four  hundred  feet  in  height. 
The  stream  takes  in,  first,  the  Boreas  River  and  the 
Schroon,  and  fifteen  miles  north  of  Saratoga  receives 
the  water  of  the  Sacandaga.  South  of  that  the  Batten- 
kill  is  added  to  it,  and,  between  the  Battenkill  and  the 
Mohawk,  the  Walloomsac.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
these  streams,  with  two  exceptions,  have  Indian  names, 
and  this  recalls  the  prophecy  of  a  dying  chief,  who, 
while  chanting  his  death-song,  surrounded  by  liis 
enemies,  foretold  the  disappearance  of  his  race,  but 


I'hc  Hudson  River 


promised  that  the  streams  should  retain  the  Indian 
names,  to  keep  his  people  in  remembrance  for  ever. 

In  his  admirable  Reminiscences  of  Saratoga,  Mr. 
William  L.  Stone  quotes  the  "  Interesting  narrative  of 
a  visit  to  the  '  High  Rock  Spring '  in  1789,  a  little  more 
than  twenty  years  after  Sir  William  Johnson's  visit 
.    .    .    taken  down  from  the  lips  of  Mrs.  Dwight,  by 


LOOKING  DOWN  RIVER,   NEAR  TROY 


her  son,  the  Hon.  Theodore  Dwight."  This  account  of 
the  condition  of  Saratoga  and  the  route  thither  is  so 
graphic  that  our  only  apology  in  making  the  following 
excerpts  is  that  we  cannot  quote  it  entire : 

Our  party  originally  consisted  of  five,  three  gentlemen  and 
two  ladies,  who  travelled  with  two  gigs  (then  called  chairs)  and 
a  saddle-horse. 

From  Hartford,  where  I  resided,  our  party  proceeded  west- 
ward, and  some  idea  of  the  fashions  may  be  formed  from  the 
dress  of  one  of  the  ladies,  who  wore  a  black  beaver  with  a  sugar- 
loaf  crown  eight  or  nine  inches  high,  called  a  steeple-crown, 
wound  round  with  black  and  red  tassels.  Habits  having  gone 
out  of  fashion,  the  dress  was  of  London  smoke  broadcloth,  but- 
toned down  in  front,  and  at  the  side  with  twenty-four  gilt  but- 
tons, about  the  size  of  a  half  dollar.  Large  waists  and  stays 
were  the  fashion  and  the  shoes  were  extremely  sharp-toed  and 
high-heeled,  ornamented  with  large  paste  buckles  at  the  instep. 


Above  Tide-Water 


553 


We  hardly  met  any  one  on  this  part  of  the  way,  except 
an  old  man  with  a  long,  white  beard,  who  looked  like  a  palmer 
on  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  his  wife,  who  was  as 
ugly  as  one  of  Shakespeare's  old  crones.  .  .  .  After  three 
days  we  reached  Hudson,  where  a  gentleman  who  had  come  to 
attend  a  ball  joined  our  party,  sending  a  message  home  for 
clothes;  and,  although  he  did  not  receive  them  and  had  only  his 
dancing  dress,  persisted  in  proceeding  with  us.  He  mounted  his 
horse  therefore  in  a  suit  of  white  broadcloth,  with  powdered 
hair,  small  clothes,  and  white  silk  stockings. 

Could  anything  be  more  delightful  than  this  instan- 
taneous photograph  of  a  beau  of  a  htmdred  and  thir- 
teen years  ago,  whose  abounding  spirits  and  love  of 
adventure  were  not  to  be  held  in  check  by  such  trifles 
as  white  broadcloth,  ]j)Owdered  hair,  and  silk  small- 
clothes?   But  to  continue: 

While  at  Hudson  it  was  determined  to  go  directly  to  Saratoga, 
the  efficacy  of  the  water  being  much  celebrated  as  well  as  the 
curious  round  and  hollow  rock  from  which  it  flowed.  Hudson 
was  a  flourishing  village,  although  it  had  been  settled  but  about 
seven  years,  by  people  from  Nantucket  and  Rhode  Island. 

In  the  afternoon  the  prospect  of  a  storm  made  us  hasten  our 
gait  and  we  tarried  over  night  at  an  old  Dutch  house,  which,  not- 
withstanding the  uncouth  aspect  of  a  fireplace  without  jambs, 
was  a  welcome  retreat  from  the  weather.  Early  in  the  morning 
we  proceeded  and  reached  Albany  at  breakfast-time.  The  old 
Dutch  church,  with  its  pointed  roof  and  great  window  of  painted 
glass,  stood  at  that  time  at  the  foot  of  State  Street. 

At  Troy,  where  we  took  tea,  there  were  only  a  dozen  houses, 
the  place  having  been  settled  only  three  years  before  by  people 
from  Killingworth,  Saybrook,  and  other  tow^ns  in  Connecticut. 
Lansingburg  was  an  older  and  more  considerable  town,  contain- 
ing more  than  a  hundred  houses,  and  inhabited  principally  by 
emigrants  from  the  same  State.  The  tavern  was  a  very  good 
one,  but  the  inhabitants  were  so  hospitable  to  our  party  that  the 


554 


The  Hudson  River 


time  was  spent  almost  entirely  in  ])rivate  houses.  After  a  delay 
of  two  nights  and  a  day  we  proceeded  on  our  journey.  Crossing 
the  Hudson  to  Waterford  by  a  ferry,  we  went  back  as  far  as  the 
Mohawk  to  see  the  Cohoes  falls,  of  which  we  had  a  fine  view  from 
the  northern  bank,  riding  along  the  brow  of  the  precipice  in 
going  and  returning. 

On  the  road  to  the  Mohawk  we  met  a  party  of  some  of  the 
most  respectable  citizens  of  Albany  —  among  whom  was  the  pa- 
troon  Van  Rensselaer — in  a  common  country  waggon  without  a 
cover,  with  straw  under  their  feet  and  wooden  chairs  for  seats. 
Two  gentlemen  on  horseback,  in  their  company,  finding  that  we 
were  going  to  Saratoga,  ofifered  to  accompany  us  to  the  scene 
of  the  battle  of  Behmus  Heights,  and  thither  we  proceeded  after 
visiting  Cohoes. 

We  dined  in  the  house  which  was  General  Burgoyne's  head- 
quarters in  1777  and  one  of  the  females  who  attended  us  was 
there  during  the  battle. 

Mr.  Stone,  in  a  footnote,  corrects  this  statement, 
averring  that  General  Burgoyne's  headquarters  were 
''on  high  ground,  the  present  [1875]  farm  of  Mr.  Wil- 
bur." But  the  account  of  Mrs.  Dwight  is  circumstan- 
tial. 

She  [the  woman  referred  to]  informed  us  of  many  particulars, 
and  showed  us  a  spot  upon  the  floor,  which  was  stained  with  the 
blood  of  General  Frazer,  who,  she  added,  when  brought  in  mor- 
tally wounded,  was  laid  upon  the  very  table  at  which  we  were 
seated.  During  the  funeral,  she  also  stated,  the  American 
troops,  who  had  got  into  the  rear  of  the  British  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  and  had  been  firing  over  the  house,  on  discover- 
ing the  cause  of  the  procession  up  the  steep  hill,  where  Frazer 
had  requested  to  be  interred,  not  only  ceased  firing,  but  played 
a  dead  march  in  complement  to  his  memory. 

On  leaving  the  battleground  for  Saratoga  Lake  .  .  .  the 
country  we  had  to  pass  over,  after  leaving  the  Hudson,  was  very 
uninviting  and  almost  uninhabited.    The  road  lay  through  a 


Above  Tide-Water  557 


forest  and  was  formed  of  logs  [The  road  cut  by  General 
Schuyler  in  1783.]  We  travelled  till  late  in  the  afternoon 
before  we  reached  a  house,  to  which  we  had  been  directed  for 
our  lodging.  It  stood  in  a  solitary  place  in  an  opening  of 
the  dark  forest,  and  had  so  comfortless  an  appearance  that, 
without  approaching  to  take  a  nearer  view,  or  alighting,  we 
determined  to  proceed  farther.  .  .  .  One  of  the  gentlemen 
rode  up  to  take  a  nearer  view.  Standing  up  in  his  saddle, 
he  peeped  into  a  square  hole  which  served  as  a  window,  but 
had  no  glass  or  shutter,  and  found  the  floor  the  bare  earth, 
with  scarcely  any  furniture  to  be  seen.  Nothing  remained 
but  to  proceed  and  make  our  w^ay  to  the  Spring  as  fast 
as  possible,  for  we  knew  of  no  human  habitation  nearer.  We 
were  for  a  time  extremely  dispirited,  until  the  gentleman  who 
had  joined  us  at  Hudson  came  forward  (still  in  his  ball  dress) 
and  endeavoured  to  encourage  us,  saying  that  if  we  would  but 
trust  to  his  guidance  he  doubted  not  that  he  should  be  able  to 
conduct  us  safely  and  speedily  to  a  more  comfortable  habitation. 
This  raised  our  hopes,  and  we  followed  him  cheerfully,  though 
the  day  was  now  at  its  close  and  the  forest  seemed  thicker  and 
darker  than  before.  When  the  last  light  had  disappeared,  and 
we  found  ourselves  in  the  deepest  gloom,  our  guide  confessed 
that  he  had  encouraged  us  to  keep  us  from  despair,  and  as  to 
any  knowledge  of  the  road,  he  had  never  been  there  before  in 
his  life. 

One  would  give  much  to  have  seen  this  cheerful 
''gentleman  from  Hudson"  at  that  moment: 

He  .  .  .  dismounted,  tied  his  horse  behind  our  chair,  and 
taking  the  bridle  of  our  own  began  to  lead  him  on,  groping  his 
way  as  well  as  he  was  able,  stepping  into  one  mud  hole  after 
another,  without  regard  to  his  silk  stockings,  sometimes  up  to 
his  beauish  knee  buckles.  At  length  one  of  the  gentlemen  de- 
clared that  a  sound  which  we  had  heard  for  some  time  at  a  dis- 
tance could  not  be  the  howl  of  a  wolf,  but  must  be  the  barking 
of  a  wolf  dog,  and  indicated  that  the  habitation  of  his  master  was 
not  very  far  off,  proposing  at  the  same  time  to  go  in  search  of 


rhc  Hudson  River 


it.  .  .  We  found  our  way  to  a  log  house,  containing  but 
one  room  and  destitute  of  everytliing  except  hospitable  inhab- 
itants .  .  .  there  was  no  lamp  or  candles,  light  being 
supplied  by  pine  knots  stuck  in  crevices  in  the  walls.  The  conver- 
sation of  the  family  proved  that  wild  beasts  were  very  numerous 
and  bold  in  the  surrounding  forests  and  that  they  sometimes, 
when  hungry,  approached  the  house.  .  .  .  On  reaching  the 
springs  at  Saratoga  we  found  but  three  habitations  and  those  l)ut 
poor  log  houses,  on  the  high  bank  of  the  meadow,  where  is  now 
the  eastern  side  of  the  street  on  the  ridge  near  the  Round  Rock. 
This  was  the  only  spring  then  visited.  The  log  cabins  were 
almost  full  of  strangers,  among  whom  were  several  ladies  and 
gentlemen  from  Albany,  and  we  found  it  almost  impossible 
to  obtain  accommodations  even  for  two  nights.  .  .  .  The 
neighbourhood  of  the  Spring,  like  all  the  country  we  had  seen 
for  many  miles,  was  a  perfect  forest. 

The  earliest  advertising  that  Saratoga  Springs  seems 
to  have  received  was  through  those  recruits  from  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country  who,  having  been  called  to- 
gether to  dispute  the  advance  of  Burgoyne  and  his 
army,  became,  when  again  dispersed  to  their  homes, 
the  propagandists  of  exaggerated  tales  of  the  wonder- 
ful fertility  of  the  region. 

The  Saratoga  Springs  of  modem  ken,  having  de- 
veloped in  three  quarters  of  a  century  to  one  of  the 
greatest  watering-places  on  earth,  with  all  the  attrac- 
tions that  wealth  and  fashion  can  add  to  great  natural 
advantages,  cannot  be  described  in  such  a  work  as  this. 
The  tale  of  its  splendour  is  bewildering,  the  roll  of  those 
who  have  added  to  its  gaiety,  overwhelming.  A  list 
of  those  who  have  lodged  in  its  great  hostelries,  or 
drank  of  its  waters,  would,  perhaps,  include  a  majority 


Above  Tide-Water  559 

of  the  famous  people  who  have  Hved  during  the  past 
half-century. 

The  peculiar  virtues  of  the  waters  of  Saratoga  were 
long  known  to  the  Indians,  who,  in  1767,  revealed 
them  as  a  mark  of  special  friendship  to  Sir  William 


CONGRESS  SPRING  IN  1S2O 


Johnson.  Johnson,  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lake 
George,  twelve  years  before,  was  subject  to  recurring 
attacks  of  illness  due  to  that  injury.  The  Mohawks, 
who  held  him  in  greater  esteem  probably  than  any 
other  white  man  ever  won  from  them,  carried  him 
through  the  forest  to  the  "  High  Rock,"  and  with  sol- 
emn ceremonies  laid  him  in  the  healing  pool.  His 
letter  to  his  friend.  General  Philip  Schuyler,  is  interest- 
ing: 

]\Iy  Dear  Schuyler  [he  wrote],  I  have  just  returned  from  a 
visit  to  a  most  amazing  Spring,  which  has  almost  effected  my 
cure;  and  I  have  sent  to  Doctor  Stringer,  of  New  York,  to  come 
up  and  analyse  it. 


The  Hudson  River 


The  fact  seems  to  have  been  that  Sir  WilHam,  having 
reached  the  spring  on  a  litter,  carried  on  the  shoulders  of 
his  Mohawk  friends,  was  so  far  restored  that  he  accom- 
plished part  of  his  return  journey  to  Schenectady  on  foot. 

In  1783,  General  Schuyler,  who  had  not  forgotten 
the  letter  of  his  quondam  friend,  though  the  sad  events 
of  the  war  had  cut  him  off  from  intimacy  with  the 
Johnsons,  made  a  road  through  the  woods  from  his 
estate  at  Schuylersville  to  the  spring,  and,  taking  his 
family  there,  encamped  for  several  weeks. 

The  same  year,  General  Washington,  being  distracted 
by  the  long  idleness  of  his  waiting  at  Newburgh,  under- 
took a  brief  tour  of  the  northern  and  western  part  of 
the  State,  to  study  particularly  the  topography  of  the 
country  and  its  battle-fields.  During  that  tour  he  vis- 
ited the  springs  in  company  with  Governor  Clinton  and 
Alexander  Hamilton.  An  amusing  anecdote  is  pre- 
served of  one  Tom  Conner,  who  was  standing  by  his 
cabin  door,  axe  in  hand,  when  Washington  and  his 
party  rode  by.  Reining  his  horse,  the  chief  court- 
eously asked  to  be  directed  to  the  High  Rock.  Having 
given  the  required  direction,  Tom  went  on  with  his 
wood-chopping,  and  was  presently  surprised  by  the 
return  of  the  party,  when  Washington  asked  for  fur- 
ther directions.  Tom  looked  at  him  but  a  moment  and 
then  burst  forth,  "  I  tell  you,  turn  back  and  take  the 
first  right-hand  path  into  the  woods  and  stick  to  it. 
Any  darned  fool  would  know  the  way."  What  the 
Father  of  his  Country  replied  has  not  been  recorded. 


Above  Tide-Water 


Repeated  reference  has  been  made  to  the  battle  of 
Saratoga,  and  its  great  importance  in  relation  to 
American  history  can  hardly  be  overestimated.  It 
should  not  be  forgotten  that  Sir  Edward  Creasy,  the 
English  military  writer,  has  numbered  this  among  the 
fifteen  decisive  battles  of  the  world. 

Burgoyne  started  from  Canada  towards  Albany  with 
a  reasonable  expectation  of  uniting  his  forces  with  those 
of  Clinton  and  keeping  open  a  direct  line  of  communi- 
cation from  New  York  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  But  he 
was  harassed  by  the  New  Hampshire  levies  and  checked 
at  every  step  of  the  way  by  the  obstructions  that  the 
forethought  and  activity  of  vSchuyler  had  reared.  The 
American  army,  organised  by  Schu}der  and  transfen'cd 
to  Gates  for  reasons  political,  had  been  reinforced  by  two 
brigades  from  the  Highlands,  besides  a  force  of  artillery 
and  Morgan's  efficient  corps  of  riflemen,  sent  by  Wash- 
ington. Gates's  arm\'  numbered  about  ten  thousand 
men,  many  of  them  militia  or  levies.  It  must  not  be  un- 
derstood, however,  that  the  New  York  or  Connecticut 
troops  of  this  description  were  necessarily  raw^  recruits. 
On  the  contrary,  it  was  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the 
American  army  that  its  numbers  alternateh'  swelled 
and  dwindled  as  occasion  demanded.  In  two  years' 
time  both  the  militia  and  the  levies  may  have  been 
called  out  on  several  occasions  under  the  stress  of  cir- 
cumstances, returning  to  their  farms  and  villages  in 
the  intervals  between  active  campaigns. 

While  Gates  was  being  thus  reinforced.  General 

36 


562 


The  Hudson  River 


vSchiiylcr,  having  retired  to  Albany,  was  reeeiving 
de])utations  of  Indian  ehiefs  and  exerting  his  great 
influenee  to  seeure  their  serviees  as  seouts,  thus  materi- 
ally aiding  the  forces  in  the  field.  One  is  compelled  to 
admire  the  greatness  of  soul  of  this  man,  who  refused 
to  permit  the  eavalier  treatment  aeeorded  him  by 
Gates,  or  the  apparent  negleet  of  higher  powers,  to 
interrupt  the  efficiency  of  his  service  or  chill  the  ardour 
of  his  patriotism. 

Burgoyne,  having  gathered  in  what  forces  he  could 
from  Skenesborough  and  other  posts,  reached  the  Hud- 
son and  constructed  a  bridge  by  which  to  cross  from 
the  east  to  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  Meanwhile,  a 
lookout  u|3on  Willard's  Mountain,  on  the  east  shore, 
watched  his  movements  and  reported  them  to  the 
American  commander.  We  have  some  hints  of  the 
gloomy  anticipation  with  which  the  British  com- 
mander found  himself  face  to  face  with  the  American 
army.  He  knew  that  the  posts  in  his  rear  had  been 
retaken  by  the  Americans.  The  defeat  of  St.  Leger  at 
Fort  Schuyler  had  been  disheartening;  now  the  fre- 
quent desertions  from  his  army  depleted  his  force  of 
fighting  men. 

On  the  13th  and  14th  of  September  he  crossed  the 
river  on  his  bridge  of  boats,  landing  upon  the  plain 
near  the  mouth  of  Fishkill  Creek,  afterwards  Schuyler- 
ville,  about  five  miles  north  of  the  American  position. 

The  arrangement  of  the  opposing  forces  on  the  19th 
was  similar,  each  resting — right  and  left  respectively — 


Above  Tide-Water 


563 


upon  the  river,  whence  the  Unes  stretched  at  right 
angles  with  the  stream  and  parallel  to  each  other,  west- 
ward, across  the  hills.  Burgoyne  s  left  wing,  on  the 
fiats  near  the  river,  consisted  of  the  artillery.  The 
General-in-chief  commanded  the  centre  and  right  in 
person. 

The  American  right,  opposite  the  British  artillery 
and  extending  over  the  low  hills  and  flats  near  the 
river,  was  under  the  immediate  command  of  General 
Gates.  The  left,  that  included  Livingston's,  Van 
Cortlandt's,  Hale's,  Scannel's,  and  Cilley's  regiments, 
the  Connecticut  militia,  and  Morgan's  famous  sharp- 
shooters, was  on  the  heights  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
from  the  river,  under  command  of  the  impetuous  Bene- 
dict Arnold. 

Arnold,  together  with  Thaddeus  Kosciusco,  the 
Polish  engineer,  had  selected  Bemis  Heights  as  the 
theatre  of  battle  and  laid  out  fortifications  there. 

Having,  on  the  i8th,  advanced  slowly  to  within  two 
miles  of  General  Gates's  position,  Burgoyne  rested 
over  night  and  prepared  for  an  attack  upon  the  morn- 
ing of  the  19th.  The  plan,  in  brief,  was  to  make  a 
demonstration  with  Canadians  and  Indians  threaten- 
ing the  American  centre,  while  the  grenadiers  and 
light  infantrv,  under  Frazer,  on  the  left  of  Gates's 
position,  and  the  British  left-wing,  under  Philips  and 
Reidesel,  were  to  move  simultaneously  and  by  a  cir- 
cuitous route  to  gain  the  American  rear.  Burgoyne 
himself  was  with  the  British  right. 


5^4 


The  Hudson  River 


Gates  received  advice  of  the  advance  of  the  enemy 
upon  his  left,  but  niade  no  movement  in  res])onse  to 
repeated  appeals,  until  al)out  noon  x-\rnold  succeeded 
in  getting  permission  to  order  Morgan  and  Dearborn 
out.  Arnold  in  person  followed  this  party  with  an- 
other detachment  and  was  soon  engaged  with  General 
Frazer's  superior  force.  Gates  refused  the  reinforce- 
ments applied  for  by  Arnold,  and  the  latter,  finding 
Frazer  s  position  too  strong  for  him,  by  a  sudden  move- 
ment attempted  to  flank  his  adversary,  with  the  result 
that  he  soon  found  himself  in  conflict  with  the  main 
line  of  the  British  advance. 

Unperturbed  by  the  numbers  opposed  to  him,  he 
attacked  with  his  inferior  force,  advancing  so  impetu- 
ously that  he  nearly  broke  the  British  line  and  com- 
pelled Philips  and  Reidesel  to  hasten  to  the  support  of 
Burgoyne. 

Grudgingly  reinforcements  were  then  given  to  Ar- 
nold, and  he  continued  for  four  hours  a  spirited  action 
with  the  whole  of  the  British  right,  though  his  force 
at  no  time  exceeded  three  thousand,  or,  as  some  have 
said,  twenty-five  hundred  men.  Both  Reidesel  and 
Burgoyne  afterwards  described  this  battle  as  having 
been  fought  with  great  obstinacy  and  valour,  the  fire 
having  been  unusually  fierce  and  well  sustained. 

Burgoyne,  though  he  could  claim  no  decisive  advan- 
tage, having  indeed  been  rej)ulsed  and  thwarted  by  the 
Americans,  yet  remained  in  possession  of  his  ground 
and  proceeded  to  strengthen  his  position.    His  situa- 


Above  Tide-Water 


£65 


tion  was  sufficiently  grave.  From  almost  every 
quarter  came  discouraging  news,  the  one  exception 
being  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  with  a  dispatch  from 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  informing  him  of  the  projected  ex- 
pedition up  the  Hudson  and  proposed  co-operation 
with  the  northern  army.  In  reply  to  this  communica- 
tion Burgoyne  urged  Clinton  to  hasten,  and  promised 
to  endeavour  to  wait  for  him  until  the  12  th  of  October. 
But,  either  made  impatient  by  the  desertions  that 
were  rapidly  reducing  his  army,  or  rendered  bold  by 
the  apparent  disinclination  of  the  superior  American 
force  to  oppose  him,  or  swayed  from  his  purpose  by 
the  councils  of  his  officers,  he  determined,  upon  the 
7th  of  October,  "to  make  a  grand  movement  on  the 
left  of  the  American  camp,  to  discover  whether  he 
could  force  a  passage,  should  it  be  necessary  to  ad- 
vance, or  dislodge  it  from  its  position,  should  he  have 
to  retreat." 

Hidden  by  the  intervening  forest,  with  fifteen 
hundred  picked  troops  formed  within  a  mile  of  the 
American  left,  the  British  commander  dispatched  a 
reconnoitring  party  to  gain  the  rear  of  Gates's  position 
and  feign  an  attack  to  cover  the  actual  assault.  But 
through  the  watchfulness  of  the  Americans  this  j^lan 
resulted  in  a  complete  failure.  A  counter- ]:)lan  of  at- 
tack was  arranged  by  which  Morgan,  with  his  riflemen, 
was  to  win  the  hills  on  Burgoyne  s  right,  while  the 
New  York  and  New  Hampshire  troops,  tmder  General 
Poor,  with  a  part  of  Learned 's  brigade,  were  to  make 


566 


The  Hudson  River 


a  vigorous  attack  upon  the  Hessian  artillery  and  grena- 
diers on  the  left. 

The  Xew  Yorkers,  with  their  New  Hamj)shire  com- 
rades, did  magnifieent  work  that  day.  The  Hessian 
gunners,  serving  their  artillery  with  the  precision  and 


THE  RAPIDS  BELOW  GLENS  FALLS 


effectiveness  of  well- trained  veterans,  were  amazed  to 
see  the  Americans  advance  without  hesitation  in  the 
face  of  a  rain  of  grape-shot.  The  grenadiers,  unused 
to  meeting  opponents  who  could  stand  before  them, 
found  it  impossible  to  meet  this  impetuous  onslaught. 
The  guns  were  taken  and  retaken,  both  sides  fighting 
stubbornly,  till  at  last   the  xA.mericans   drove  their 


Above  Tide-Water 


567 


opponents  from  the  position,  turning  upon  them  their 
own  artillery.  No  doubt  a  great  deal  of  the  valour  and 
determination  shown  by  the  attacking  party  was  due 
to  the  presence  of  x-\rnold,  who,  though  without  a 
command,  owing  to  a  recent  quarrel  with  General 
Gates,  yet  took  the  lead  to  which  his  position  as  rank- 
ing officer  in  the  field  entitled  him,  and  displayed  such 
mad  courage  that  one  historian  at  least  has  gravely 
charged  him  with  being  intoxicated  upon  that  occa- 
sion. In  this  connection,  Irving  very  justly  remarks 
that  "  Arnold  needed  only  his  own  irritated  pride  and 
the  smell  of  gunpowder  to  rouse  him  to  acts  of  mad- 
ness." 

While  this  action  was  in  progress,  in  another  part  of 
the  field  General  Frazer  was  trying  to  make  a  stand 
against  Morgan  and  his-sharpshooters,  but  received  at 
last  a  mortal  wound.    His  corps  fell  back  in  confusion. 

Overcome  at  all  points,  Burgoyne  miade  an  effort  to 
save  his  camp.  This  and  a  subsequent  effort  to  cross 
the  river  in  the  face  of  an  American  battery  on  the 
eastern  shore,  were  ec[ually  unsuccessful.  He  made 
repeated  efforts  to  withdraw,  only  to  find  that  the  way 
was  completely  blocked  in  every  direction,  and  at 
length,  upon  the  17th  of  October,  articles  of  capitula- 
tion were  signed  and  the  great  battle  was  finished.  It 
was  a  strange  coincidence  that  brought  to  Burgoyne 's 
camp,  between  the  agreement  for  capitulation  and  the 
signing  of  the  articles,  news  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
announcing  that  he  had  reduced  the  forts  in  the 


568 


The  Hudson  River 


Highlands  and  was  adx'ancing  to  the  rehef  of  the  van- 
quished army. 

The  eourse  of  the  river  for  a  nunil)er  of  miles  above 
Saratoga  is  a  suecession  of  falls  and  ra])ids  of  great 
natural  beaut}',  though  now  often  concealed  or  dis- 
figiu'ed  by  a  multitude  of  mills.  It  is  hard  to  realise 
that  Fort  Edw^ard,  for  example,  has  hidden  away,  be- 
neath the  evidences  of  modern  industry  and  thrift,  an 
early  history  that  is  full  of  romance  and  derring-do. 


ON  THE  RIVER  BETWEEN  GLENS  FALLS  AND  SANDY  HILL 
{From  a  draiving  by  IV.  G.  irHsott) 


First  of  all,  it  was  granted  to  Domine  Dellius  of 
Albany,  w^ho  transferred  his  title  to  his  successor  in 
the  church,  John  Lydius,  the  latter  building  there  a 
trading  house.  Then  a  fort  was  erected  on  the  spot, 
and  in  honour  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New 
York  it  was  named  Nicholson.  Next  it  was  rebuilt  and 
called  Fort  Lyman  by  one  of  Sir  William  Johnson  s 
subordinates,  but  the  commander  soon  rechristened  it 
Edw^ard.    It  w^as  a  ])lace  of  great  importance  during 


Above  Tide-Water 


5^9 


the  French  and  Indian  wars,  and  was  at  that  time  the 
scene  of  the  well-known  exploit  of  Israel  Putnam,  when 
he  stood  upon  the  roof  of  the  powder  magazine  and 
fought,  single-handed,  the  fire  that  consumed  the 
structure  next  to  it.    Here,  too,  it  was  that  the  mur- 


THE  BRIDGE  AT  GLENS  FALLS 


der  of  Jennie  McCrea,  by  some  of  Burgoyne's  Indian 
allies,  gave  Gates  a  telling  argument,  with  which  not 
a  few  wavering  partisans  were  turned  against  the 
British  cause. 

With  Fort  Edward,  as  with  nearly  all  of  the  upper 
river  towns,  the  possession  of  one  of  the  most  magnifi- 


570 


The  Hudson  River 


cent  water-}jo\vers  in  the  world  has  deeided  the  direc- 
tion of  its  acti\'ity. 

Glens  Falls,  eighteen  miles  above  Saratoga,  was  onee 
known  as  Wing's  Falls,  and  long  before  that  the  In- 
dians gave  it  a  name  of  their  own.    As  usual,  the 


A  LOc;  JAM  ON  THE  UPPER  HUDSON 


Indians'  name  was  the  only  one  of  the  three  that  was 
neither  stupid  nor  commonplace.  They  called  it  Che- 
pon-tuc,  which,  being  interpreted,  means  "  a  hard  place 
to  get  around." 

Wing  was  simply  the  name  of  an  unimaginative 
white  man  who  used  to  own  the  Falls,  and  knew  no 


Above  Tide-V/ater 


571 


better  name  for  them  than  his  own.  The  transfer  of 
name  from  Wing  to  Glen  was  the  jjrice  of  a  dinner  at 
the  tavern.  Glen  paid  for  the  dinner,  and  then  posted 
all  the  roads  around  with  handbills  announcing  the 
change  of  title.  The  place  is  now  a  busy  town  of 
about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  or  about  one  third  of 
the  total  population  of  Warren  County.  It  also  has  a 
water-power  of  great  value,  and,  besides  the  features 
of  natural  beauty  which  even  the  ubiquitous  mills  can- 
not entirely  conceal,  it  has  a  notable  aggregation  and 
variety  of  "  works. "  Here  are  the  marble  works,  where 
the  black  marble,  native  to  the  place,  is  prepared  for 
market;  the  gun  works,  sewing-machine  works,  lime 
works,  and  a  legion  more.  But  if  the  average  citizen 
was  to  be  suddenly  asked  to  name  the  staple  product 
of  Glens  Falls  and  neighbouring  river  towns,  he  w^ould 
be  apt  to  answer,  ''wood-pulp."  Wood-pulp  is  turn- 
ing a  great  many  factory  wheels  to-day,  as  it  is  feeding 
a  great  many  thousand  printing-presses,  and  it  has 
made  the  paper  mills  of  the  upper  Hudson  the  scene 
of  a  great  industry. 

It  is  time  ''this  tale  should  have  an  ending."  Al- 
ready it  has  run  beyond  the  limits  that  the  author 
assigned  for  his  work;  yet  he  leaves  it  with  reluctance, 
conscious  most  of  all  of  its  many  omissions. 


] 


Index 


A 

Abbott,  Rev.  Lyman,  D.D.,  285 
Abeel,  Anthony,  491-492 
Abeel,  David,  491-492 
Abeel  family,  491-492 
Abingdon-Fitz-Roy  Road,  174 
Academy  Building,  Kingston,  463 
Ackland,  Lady  Harriet,  530 
Act  regulating  navigation,  121 
Adams,  John,  163 
Adirondacks,  551 

Advertisement  of  steamboats,  12S- 
129 

Aepgin,  Chief,  511 

Ailsa,  Marquis  of  (Kennedy),  32 

Albany,  2,  13,  48,  1T1-112,  125- 
126,  272-273,  278,  336,  344. 
349,  350-354,  356,  405,  431.  436. 
444,  449,  464-466,  472,  476-477, 
483,  486-488,  494,  516,  519,  520, 
526-529,  530,  541-542,  544,  546- 
550,  553-554,  558,  561-562; 
beef,  440;  Dutch,  531;  festi- 
vals, 533;  fort,  II,  23;  houses, 
533;  post  road,  317;  sloops, 
115;  wharf,  104 

Alexis,  steamboat,  133 

Algonquin  tongue,  9 

Alipconc,  10 

Allison,  Rev.  Charles  E..  9 
Alpine,  438 

Amackassin  Brook,  10 
Amasis,  301 
-\merica,  407 

American,  Academy,  428;  army. 
179,  184,  192,  232,  317,  331,  380. 
406,  461-462;  camp,  565;  citi- 
zen, the,  125;  Civil  War,  372: 
colonies,  68;  colours,  28;  de- 
fences, 330;  independence,  26. 
405,   523;    Institute   Fairs,  41;  i 


Republic,  427;   Scenic  and  His- 
toric Preservation  Society,  415; 
seamen,   54;    stores,   332,  338; 
Surety  Building,  38;  troops,  554, 
563-565;   vessels,  340 
Americans,  28 
Amsterdam,  21,  108,  446 
Ancram  Creek,  477 
Andre,  Major  John,  72,  85,  86,  219, 
228,  236-237,  244,  296-297,  314, 
317-318,  380 
Andresen,  his  captivity,  456 
Annandale,  479 
Anthony,  Theophilus,  426 
Anthony's  Nose,  91,  116,  322,  325, 
328,  3il-i?>^^  358,  361-362,  365, 
382 

Apothecary's  Hall,  Albany,  53 
Apthorpe  Mansion,  140,  175 
Arbor  Hill,  Albany,  545 
Archer,  Stephen,  229 
Ardsley-on-the- Hudson,  230 
Armenia,  steamboat,  130 
Armitage,  D.  D.,  209 
Armstrong,  General,  458,  460 
Arnold,  General  Benedict,  85,  228, 
296-298,  314,  335-336,380.463- 
464,  483.  567 
Arnold,  Mrs.,  366 
Arthur,  General  Chester  A.,  458 
Aspinwall,  William.  237 
Assembly  of  Nineteen,  the,  516, 
520 

Astor,  William  B.,  458 
Astor  Place  Riots,  196 
Athens.  ^07 
Atkarkarton.  .144 
Atkins,  T.  Astl<>y,  209 
Atlanta ,  warsliij),  5  i 
Atlantic  cable,  230 
Auchmuty,  Doctor.  312 
i  Audubon  Park,  155 


573 


574 


Index 


B 

Raas.  Jan.  536-537 
Baccrack  Reach,  114 
Badoau,  (jcncral  Adam,  287 
Bailey.  Ilaehaliah,  293 
Baker  s  dozen,  its  orii^an,  ^536 
Baker's  I'^alls,  438 
Ball,    Washington's  inauguration, 
32 

Baltimore,  504 

Barber  and  Howe's  Collections .  4*;^ 
Barclay  Street  and  college  build- 
ings,' 58 
Barge  Office,  New  York,  40 
Barnard  College,  148,  176 
Barnum,  P.  T.,  and  Jenny  Lind,  46 
Barr,  Mrs.  Amelia  E.,  285 
Barry  town,  479 

Bartholdi  Statue  of  Liberty,  139 
Bartram,  John,  274 
Bassett  Street,  Albany,  531 
Battcnkill,  551 

Battery,  the,  24,  26-27,  31,  36,  50, 

54,  57,  65,  288 
Battle  of  Behmus  (Bcmis)  Heights, 

554,  563 
Battle  of  Harlem  Heights,  277 
Battle  of  Lake  George,  559 
Battle  of  Long  Island,  151,  326 
Battle  of  White  Plains,  332 
JSansaji,  Italian  warship,  51 
Baxter,  188 

Bayard  family  and  residence,  61 
Bayard  Hill,  168;    Redoubt,  168, 
174 

Bc'ac(^n  Hill,  357,  417 

Bear  Island  (Bearn) ,  352,  511-514, 

^  521  . 

Bear  Mountain,  319,  339,  358 

Beauregard,  372 

Beayer  Street,  Albany,  527 

Bedford  Pike,  293 

Bedlam's  Redoubt,  169 

Bedloc's  Island,  49 

Beecher,  Rev.  Henry  Ward,  282, 

..^'^ 

Beekman,  534 
Beekman,  Henry,  91,  459 
Beekman,  Jam.es  W.,  50 
Beekman,  'Mrs.,  317 
Beekman  House,  463 
Beekman  Manor,  350 
Beekman  Patent,  365,  486 
Beekmantown,  239 
Belletti,  Signor,  42 
Benedict,  42 
Benedict,  Israel,  47 


Benton,  Joel,  2 87,  426 
Bergen,  344,  345,  349 
Bergen,  Martin  G.,  486 
Bergen  Dutch  Church,  72 
Bergen  Neck,  82 
Besightsick,  10 

Betliune,  Rev.  Geo.  W.,  D.I).,  27 
Beverly  House,  366,  369,  380 
Beversier,  23 
Beverwyck,  519,  520 
Beyier,  469 

Biddle,  Joseph,  Jr.,  344 
Bigelow,  )()hn,  424 
Bill  of  Freedoms,  etc.,  88 
Binckes,  Captain,  23 
JUake,  British  warship,  51 
Bleecker,  Hermanns,  255 
Blinkersbergh,  13 
Blockhouse  at  Shadyside,  82 
Blom,  Domine  Hermanns,  444,  447 

459,  469 
Bloodgood,  Frank,  545 
Bloomingdale,  174;  road,  152,  175- 

176 

Boers  in  America,  98,  99 
Bogardus,  Anneke  Jans,  59;  Dom 

ine  Everardus,  59 
Bogardus  Inn,  458 
Bolton,  Rev.  Robert,  290 
Boreas  River,  551 
Borecl  Building,  New  York,  35 
Bossen  Bouwerie,  61 
Boston,  167,  290 
Boston  and  Albany  Road,  61 
Boston  Tea  Party,  57 
Boulevard,  the,  176,  178 
Boulevard,  Lafayette,  155 
Boulton  and  Watt,  121 
Bouwerie,  Roeloff  Jansen's,  59 
Bowery,  61 
Bowling  Green,  25,  31 
Bowling  Green  Building,  39 
Braddock,  General,  151 
Bradhurst,  Dr.  Samuel,  152 
Bradstreet,  Colonel,  353 
Breakneck  Hill,  386 
Brevoort,  Henry,  250 
Brewers  Street,  Albany,  538 
Brewhouse  on  North  River,  168 
Bright,  Marshal  H.,  286 
Brink,  Benjamin  Meyer,  476,  535 
Brink,  Cornelius  L.,  472 
Brinkerhoff's  History  of  Fishkill, 
416 

Brinkerhofl's  house,  417 

British,  army,  531;  artillery,  563; 
cause,  569;  ensign,  28;  fleet, 
169,  329,  379,  406,  407;  force, 


Index 


575 


British  army — Continued 

539;  i^arrison,  72 ;  Government, 
6q.  474;  officers,  32;  plans,  160; 
ships,  28,  54,  64,  170,  228,  232, 
235;  troops,  31,  168,  176,  J 85, 
188,  191,  227,  554 
Broadway,  Albany,  527,  538 
Broadway,  New  York,  27,  35,  46, 

5«.  317-  523 
Brodhcad,  John  Romeyn,  17,  273 
Broken  Neck  Hill,  346,  386 
Brooks,  James  Gordon,  272 
Brown,  C'harles,  122 
Brow  n ,  'I^h(  unas,  105 
Bryant.  William  Cullcn,  256,  262, 

272,  394,  424 
Buckhout,  Ca]:)lain  J(jhn,  23 
Bucktail  party,  265 
Buildings  in  New  York,  24,  31,  32, 

35.  3;"^-  39 
Bull  Hill,  :;:;7,  362,  369,  386,  390 
Bull's  Ferry,  8i  ' 
Buonaparte,  Joseph.  143 
Burdett's  Ferry,  185,  330 
Burgoyne,  336,  338^  343,  379,  407, 

408,  460,  462,  464,  539,  554,  558, 

561-565-  567.  569 
Burlington,  344 
Burnet,  Governor,  25 
Burnet's  Key,  104 
Burnside,  General,  372 
Burr,  Aaron,  74-78,  148,  152,  217, 

249,  468,  509,  542 
Bvirroughs,  John,  286,  289,  394 
Bushnell,  inventor,  119,  183,  330 
Butler,  Benjamin  F.,  277 
Butler,  Colonel,  309 
Butler,  Samuel,  510 
Butler,  William  Allen,  271 
Butter  Hill  (Butter  Mt.),  346,  357 

C 

Cable  Building,  New  York,  38 
Cabot,  John,  2 

Cadwalader,  Colonel,  1 88- 190 

Cahoes,  355 

Cairo,  495 

Call  Rock,  425 

Campbell,  13,  339 

Campbell,  Donald.  483 

Canada, 160, 338, 480, 491 , 493, 56 i 

Canal    Street    and  Lispcnard's 

swamp,  60 
Canals,  treatise  by  Fulton,  118 
Canopus  Creek,  297,  317 
Canty,  Master  Tim,  242,  243 
Cape  Cod,  507 


Cai)itol  at  Washington,  469 

Car  oj  Xeptune,  steamboat,  128 

Caribbean  Islands,  23 

Carleton,  Sir  Guy,  27,  229,  288 

Carl's  Mill,  239 

Carolina  troops,  310 

Carolinas,  160 

Carthage,  416 

Cart  Wright's  tavern,  353 

Cassalis,  Earl  of,  32 

Casta  Diva,  42,  45 

Castle  Clinton,  41 

Castle  Filipse,  206 

Castle  Garden,  3 1 ,    40-42,  45-48, 

Castle  Island,  519 

Castle  Point,  73,  78 

Castleton,  510,  515 

Catesby,  Mark,  274 

Cathedral  Heights,  144,  147 

Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine, 

144,  147 
Catskill  Creek,  487 
Catskill  Mountains,  417,  470,  499, 

502,  508,  547 
Catskill  Station,  92 
Catskill  Village,  437,  473,  486,  48S- 

489,  491,  494-495,  499,  500 
Cedar  Street  and  Damen's  farm,  35 
Central  Park  and  McGowan's  Pass, 

27 

Chamber  of  Commerce,  424 
Chambers,  Thomas,  444,  447,  450, 
451 

Champlain  Canal,  550 
Chancellor  of  New  York,  Living- 
ston, 120 
Charles  IL,  96 

(Charter  of  Freedoms,  etc.,  520 

Chatterton's  Hill,  184 

Chelsea  village,  62,  63 

Cheney,  A.  N.,  437 

Chepontuc,  570 

Cherry  Valley,  352,  353 

Cherrycroft,  285 

Chesapeake  shad,  436 

Chittenden,  Lucius  B.,  and  widow, 

Church,  Frederick  E.,  507 
Church  notices,  44S 
Church  Street,  Albany,  527 
Church  tokens,  448 
Cillev's  regiment  at  Saratoga,  563 
City 'Hall, "Albany,  547 
City  Hall,  site  of  dc  Lanccy  house, 
35 

Civil  War,  the.  319 
Claesscn,  Siebout,  14 


5/6 


Index 


Clarcmont  Hotel,  14.^ 
Clarke,  Lewis  ( laylord,  256-257 
Clarke,  Thomas,  (\:, 
Classis  of  Amsterdam,  459 
Claveraek,  272,  504 
Clavcrack  Creek,  507 
Claveraek  Reaeh,  1  14 
Clay.  Henry,  427 
Clayton,  John,  274 
Clermont,  122,  125,  478 
Clcrnioil,  steamer,  120,   122,  125, 
128,  138 

Clinton,  Colonel  James,  167-168, 
170,  3,^7,  340;  I)e  Witt,  49,  265, 
459;  Gox'ernor  George,  30,  170, 
184,  187,  312,  316,  327-328,  335- 
337. 339.  340, 407, 427,  456,  460- 
461,  464-465,  538,  542, 546, 560; 
Mrs.  George,  460;  Sir  Henry, 
163-166,  228,  304,  335,  338,  339, 
343.  379.  389.  407-408,  412,  439, 
461 , 467-468 

Clinton  Point,  198 

Coekloft  Hall,  252,  253 

Coeymans,  510 

Cohoes,  550,  554 

Cojcmans  House,  352 

Colbcrg,  William,  107 

Colden,  Cadwallader,  47,  274 

Coldenham,  274,  277 

Colds])ring,  266,  385,  386 

Cole,  Rev.  David,  D.D.,  208,  287 

Cole,  Thomas,  500 

Colleet  Pond,  120 

Collegiate  Church,  444 

Collinson,  Peter,  274 

Coin  Donk,  203 

Colonial  Assembly,  460 

Colonial  Legislature,  477 

Colonial  Party,  168 

Colonies,  90,  96 

Colonists,  88,  89,  90,  91,  92,  95 
Columbia  College,  63,  251,  256,  262 
CoKimbia  County,  272,  503-504 
Columbia  Garden,  57 
Columbia  University,  147,  148,  176, 

^79    .  ^ 
Columljian  Celebration,  1892,  50 
Columbia ville,  509 
Columbus,  2,  5 

Commissioners  of  Emigration,  41 
Commissioners  of  Indian  Affairs, 
477  . 

Committee  of  100,  50-51 
Committee  of  Safety,  331,  456 
Committee  of  States-General,  91 
Communipaw,  20,  65-69,  71 
Company's  rules  for  patents,  89,  90 


Com])any's  ships,  88 

Congress,^  377,   405,   412;  United 

States  Senate  and  Burr,  77 
Conkling,  Ca])tain,  105 
Connecticut,  344,  427 
Connecticut  troops,    166,  J72-J73 

,  176.  178-179 
Connor,  Tom,  560 
Constitution  Island,  306,  385 
Constitution  of  New  York,  120 
Continental  army,  228,  405,  538 
Continental  cause,  379,  475 
Continental  village,  297,  317,  332 
Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  151 
Cooper,  Charles  D.,  74-76 
Cooper,  Doctor,  545 
Copway,  Ojibbeway  Chief,  398 
Corlear's  Hook,  74 
Cornell,  Alonzo  B.,  319 
Cornwall,  168,  260-261,  393 
Cornwallis,  General  Lt^rd,  190,  227- 
228,  41 1 

Corporation  of  New  York  City,  41 
C(jrsen,  Arent,  501 
Cortlandt  Manor,  91,  313,  326,  345 
Cortlandt  Street  Ferry,  58,  72 
Council  of  Fifty,  480 
Council  of  Safety,  460 
Courtenay,  Viscount,  143 
Cow  Chase,  the,  72,  85 
Coxsackie,  494,  503,  510,  511 
Coxsackie  boats,  428 
Cozzens,  Fredk.  Swartwout,  209, 
253.  269 

Cozzens's  hotel  at  West  Point,  382 

Crane,  Ichabod,  243,  249,  509,  510 

Creasey,  Sir  Edward,  561 

Crispcll,  469 

Crommelin,  Daniel,  262 

Crom-Pond  road,  318 

Cro'  Nest,  116,  357 

Crosby,  Enoch,  417  ^ 

Croton,  112,  224,  436 

Croton  Aqueduct,  293 

Croton  Bridge,  312 

Croton,  Chief,  295-296 

Croton  Manor-house,  317 

Croton  Point,  10,  301,  304 

Croton  River,  11,  206,  293,  294,  337 

Crown  Point,  483 

Cruger,  General  S.  V.  R.,  50 

Cruger's,  304 

Cruger's  Dock,  57 

Cruger's  Island,  393 

CuUum,  General,  377 

Cullum  Memorial  Ilall,  377 

Culprit  Fay ,  The,  258,  440 

Cunard  steamers,  61 


Index 


577 


Gushing,  torpedo-boat,  50 
Custom  House,  31 
Cut  Banks,  510 
Cuyler,  Henry,  353 

D 

Dallie,  Rev.  Mr.,  470 
Daly,  Judi^e  Chas.  P.,  156 
Damen,  jan  J  an  sen,  35 
Danbury,  293 

Daniel  Drew,  steamboat,  130 
Dauphin  of  France,  383-384 
D'Auxiron,  iig 
Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  155 
Dearborn,  Colonel,  564 
Declaration  of  Independence,  120, 

167,  457.  523 
De  Fuyck,  519 
De  Gary,  Blasco,  119 
De  Jouffroy,  Marquis,  119 
De  Koven's  Bay,  478 
De  La  Barr,  107 

De   Lancey,  Lieutenant-Governor 

James,  32 
De  Lancey,  John  Peter,  32,  35 
De  Lancey,  General  Oliver,  140 
De  Lancey  family  residence,  61 
Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal,  467 
Delaware  Indians,  425 
Delaware  River,  351,  443,  470,  493, 

520 

Delaware,  steamer.  120 
Dell  (Dellius),  Rev.  Godfrey,  =^26, 
568 

Dellius  Street,  Albany,  531 

Denton's  Ferry,  349 

Denton's  Mill,  349 

Depew,  Charles,  105 

Depew,  Chauncey  M.,  318,  319 

Depew,  Isaac,  105 

Dervall,  John,  206 

Desbrosses  Street,  59 

De  Witt,  Simeon,  545 

De  Witt,  Thomas,  458-459 

Dobbs,  Jeremiah,  226-229,  230,  235 

Dobbs  Ferry,  9,  27,  172,  185,  186 

Dodge,  Miss  Grace,  148 

Dolphin,  dispatch  l)oat,  5 

Domines,  Dutch,  21,  474 

Dongan,    Governor,  22-23, 

294,  416,  447,  526 
Dood  Fest  (Deadfeast),  531,  533 
Douw,  Volkert,  431,  432 
Downing,  Andrew  J.,  277-278 
Drake,  Joseph  Rodman,  253,  257- 

259.  394,  440 
Duane  Street,  New  York,  58 


Dublin,  478;  College,  478 
Dubois,  Benjamin,  498 
Dubois,  Catherine,  452-454 
Dubois,  Louis,  352,  452-453,  455- 

456,  469,  470 
Dudley  Observatory,  All)any,  548 
Dudley's  grove,  198 
Duel,  Burr-Hamilton,  78 
Dunderbarrck,  1 1  7 
Dunderberg,    the,    220-222,  325, 

338-339,'  357-358,  3^2,  421. "514 
Dutch  Church,    59,    72;  Alban\-, 

526,   553;    Kingston,  447,  449, 

459,  474 
Dutch  domines,  21,  474 
Dutch  East  India  Company.  2 
Dutch  improvers  of  land,  11 1 
Dutch  Lords,  23 
Dvitch  possessions.  9 
Dutcli  record  of  H<)l)oken,  72-73 
Dutch  srt  llcrs,  I  1 
Dutch  West  India  Company,  489 
Dutchess  County,  337,  345,  349, 

350,  416,  426-427,  480 
Duyckinck,  A.  E.,  242,  253,  270- 

271, 280 

Duyvel's  Dans  Kamer,  393,  418, 
421 

Dwight,  Hon.  Theodore,  552 
Dwight,  Mrs.,  554 
Dyer,  John,  352 
Dykman,  Judge,  297 

E 

Earl  of  Devon,  143 

East  Camp,  402 

East  India  Company,  t.  2 

Eastman  College,  422 

East  River,  155,  167.  171,  172,  174; 
(Brown's  shipyard),  122 

Eckerson,  Captain,  35 

Eelkins,  commander  of  trading 
post,  472 

Eighth  Avenue  and  "\\'olfe  Monu- 
ment, 62 

El  Capitan,  steamboat.  130 

Elkins,  Jacob  Jacobsen,  107 

Elm  Park,  140 

Elysian  Fields,  78-80 

Emigration  Commissioners,  40 

Enipire  Building,  New  York,  38 

Empire  State,  i  2 

PvUglewood,  198 

Efjui table  Building.  New  York.  35. 
39 

Erie  Canal.  48.  ik).  4()(),  54-'.  551 
Erie  Lake,  49 


57^ 


Index 


EsOpilS.  IT,  13,  14,  QT.  106,  107, 
III,   114.  325.  443,  444.  450,  455. 

457.  459.  +73.  526 
Esopus  Creek,  470,  472 
Esopus  Massacre,  472 
Esperanza,  508 

Ettrick,  his  attempt  to  kidnap 
W'ashins^ton,  4 1 2 

H:r)i!)ii^  Post,  New  V(M-k,  and  La- 
fayette fete,  47 

Evertsen,  Captain  Cornelius,  23 

F 

Fair  Street,  New  York,  458 
Faleoner's  purchase,  91 
Fall  Kill,  425 
Fanning,  Colonel,  317 
Farrington,  Harvey  P.,  105 
Febiger,  Colonel,  309 
Federalists  of  Albany,  544 
Ferris,  01i\er,  241 
Feudatories,  89 
Field  Building,  New  York,  32 
Field,  Cyrus  W.,  32,  230 
Fiero,  488 

Filipse,  Frederick,  194,  206,  231 
Fish  Commission,   437,   438,  440, 
442 

Fish  hatcheries,  440,  442 

Fisher's  Reach,  114 

Fishkill,  226,  322,  346,  349,  40S, 

416-418,  457,  470 
Fishkill  Creek,  91,  562 
Fitch,  John,  119,  120 
Fitzroy  Road,  62 
Five  Nations,  the,  473 
Fleming,  General,  and  Lafayette, 

47 

Fleury,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  309 
Fort,  Amsterdam,  20,  21;  Clinton, 
337-339.  383.  460;  Constitu- 
tion, 170,  172,  332,  379;  Ed- 
ward, 568-569;  George,  22,  168; 
Hill,  196;  Independence,  313, 
319.  338.  379;  Lee,  80-82,  139, 
156,  182,  184,  186-189,  190,  192, 
198,  257,  436,  438;  Lyman,  568; 
Montgomery,  328,  335,  337-330, 
379,  428,  460,  461-462;  Nichol- 
son, 568;  Orange,  6,  iii,  353, 
516,  519,  520,  522;  Oranier,  513; 
Putnam,  379,  384;  Schuyler.  562  ; 
Washington,  106,  155-156,  172, 
181-182,  184-185,  187,  189,  190, 
330,  416;  Willem  Hendrick,  107 
Fortifications  and  Governor  Don- 
gan,  22 


Forty-second    Street    Ferry,  New 
York,  80 

Fourth  Provincial  C\)ngress,  456, 
,  457  . 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  424 

Frazer,  General,  554,  563.  564,  567 

Freehold,  352 

Frelinghuysen,  Chancellor.  278 
Frelinghuysen,     Rev.  Thecxlorus, 

494,  526,  531 
Fremont,   General  John   C,  238, 

241,  285 
Fremont,  Jessie  Benton,  285 
French  and  Indian  Wars,  475,  569 
French  Church  at  New  Paltz,  470 
Fullerton's  tract,  472,  473 
Fulton,  Robert,  118-122,  12^-126, 
^  478 

iMir  trade  and  agriculture,  91 
G 

Gallatin,  Albert,  118 
Gallows  Hill,  317 
Gansevoort,  458,  538 
Gansevoort  family,  538 
Gansevoort  Street,  New  York,  57, 
62 

Garrisons,  385 

Gates,  General  Horatio,  169,  407, 
408,  460,  465,  539,  561,  562-565, 

567.  569 
Gazette,  of  Hudson,  508-509 
Geikie,   Professor  Archibald,  197, 

223 

General   Jackson,   the,  steamboat, 
130 

General  Synod  of  Dutch  Church, 
449 

Genesee  River,  493 

Genet,  Edmond  Charles,  546 

George  III.,  297,  461 

Gerard,  Hon.  James  W.,  311 

German  camp,  351 

German  exiles,  474 

Gibbet  Island,  69,  70-71 

Gibbon,  Lieutenant,  309 

Gifford,  S.  R.,  507 

Gillender  Building,  New  York,  38 

Glass  House  farm,  63,  64 

Glen,  Johannes,  528 

Glens  Falls,  570-571 

Goede  Vrouw,  the,  65 

Gooch,  Captain,  190 

Gordon,  Duchess  of,  352 

Goshen,  346 

Gould,  Miss  Helen,  231 

Gouverneur,  Samuel,  369 


Index 


579 


Governors,  Dutch  and  English.  369 

Grand  Battery,  the.  168 

Grand  Opera  House,  63 

Grange,  the,  152 

Grant,  General  U.  S.,  372 

Grant,  Mrs.,  an  American  lady,  528 

Grant's  Tomb,   52,   143,  144,  176, 

^  '79    ^  . 
Grassy  Point,  133 
Gray  stone,  209 

Great  Britain  and  American  Inde- 
pendence, 26 
Great  Chip  Rock,  114 
Great  Kill  Road,  62 
Green  Mountains,  508 
Greenburgh,  227 

Greene,  General  Nathanael,  172, 
173,  176,  179,  184,  186,  1S7,  188, 
189,  190,  228,  335,  411 

Greene  County,  443,  449,  486 

Greene's  Patent,  486 

Greenwich  Road.  61.  62 

Greenwich  \"illage.  61,  62.  174 

Grenadier  Batter\'.  168 

Urcyii  'HI! J.  British  frigate,  167 

Grie\-(>ns  I  Inok,  215 

Grinnell,  Irving,  50 

Grinnell,  Closes  H..  262 

Griswold,  Rufus  W..  269.  271,  383 

Groot  Esopus.  459 

Groot  Riviere,  2 

Giiadaloupe,  23 

Guest.  Henry,  354 

Guests  from  Gibbet  Island,  68 

H 

Hackensack,  192 

Hafenje.  216.  241 

Hague.  The,  i 

Hale.  Captain  Nathan,  151 

Hale's  regiment  at  Saratoga,  563 

Half  Moo)i,  2,  194,  201,  509,  513 

Halifax,  167 

Halleck,  Fitz-Greene,  80,  253,  256, 

257,  261,  269,  270 
Halve  Maene,  i 

Hamburg- American  steamships,  81 
Hamilton,  General  Alexander.  74- 

77,  152.  249.  366.  411.  509.  542, 

560 

Hammond,  Colonel  James,  326 
Hancock.  H.  Irving.  376 
Handlers  Street,  Albany,  528,  538 
Hardenbergh,    Colonel  Johannes, 
460 

Hardenbergh's  Patent.  356,  360, 
372 


Harlem,  24;  battle  of,  148,  171, 
174-175.  179-  184;  Cove,  J55; 
Heights,  174-175;  River,  189, 
195'  344;  Speedway,  151 

Harmensen,  528 

Harrison's  brewery,  61 

Harschias,  476 

Hartford,  552 

Hasbrouck  house,  406,  412,  463 
Hastings,  198 

Haverstraw  (Havestro) ,  13,  211, 
224,  296,  298,  301.  327-328 

Haverstraw  Bay,  104-105.  114,  221, 
327 

Haviland.  Captain,  57 

Hawthorne,  Julian,  285 

Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  269 

Hay,  Colonel,  310,  326,  327 

Hays's  landing,  298 

Hayward,  Miss,  250 

Heatli,  General,  166,  172.  189.  190. 

315-316.  332 
Heljrews,  54 
Helderberg  war,  511 
Hairy  Clay,  steamboat.  133,  194 
Henry,  John  V.,  546 
Henry.  William.  119 
Herkimer,  General,  475 
Hessian  artillery,  566 
Hessians,  179.  189 
Heyliger,  Dolph.  321,  361-362.  390, 

/2  9 

Hicks,  John,  344 

High  Bridge.  170 

High  Rock  Spring,  552,  559,  560 

Highland  forts,  335 

Highland  Patent,  91 

Higliland  vStaticn.  429 

Highlanders,  167,  177-179 

Highlands,  92,  105-106.  114.  116, 
160,  170,  256,  266,  286,  301,  313. 
317.  327-328,  331.  335. 350. 357- 
358,  361,  365-366,  369,  379,  380, 
384-386,  389,  390,  393, 401. 406- 
408,  411.  417,  449,  460,  508,  514. 
561,  568 

Hinnieboeck,  13 

Hoboken  (Hoboquin).  15,  72.  73, 

74.  81 
Hoes.  Rev.  Dr..  459 
Hoffman,  Charles  Fenno.  253-25-,, 

269 

Hoffman,  Josiah  Ogdcn,  24S.  250 
Hoffman,  Matilda.  248-24() 
Hoffman,  vocalist.  42 
Hoge's  Reach,  114 
Holland,  5,  13,  501.  512 
Hollow  Way,  the,  155,  157,  177 


580 


Index 


Hook  (Il(^eck)  Mountain,  211,  221 
Hooker.  General  Joseph,  372 
Hooker's    Avenue.  Pouijhkecpsic, 
427 

Hope,  steamboat,  128 
Horse  Race,  the,  320 
lloivard  Carroll,  steamboat,  50 
Howe,  Admiral  Richard,  170,  171. 
183 

Howe,  General  William,  167,  184, 

185,  187.  332 
Hudson  Canal.  550-551 
Hudson,  city  of,  48,  503-504,  507- 

509.  553 

Hudson,  Henry,  i,  2,  5,  6,  194,  198, 
294.  42 1-422 ,  509 

Hudson  (Hudson's)  River,  g.  ii, 
13,  18,  19,  48,  51,  57-58,  87.  92, 
100,  108,  118,  121,  155,  160.  167, 
169,  182,  194,  197-198,  210,  217, 
221,  232,  240,  246,  249,  250-251, 
266,  278,  281,  285,  288,  290,  304, 
306,  326,  329,  330-331,  336,  338, 
344,  346,  353.  358.  379.  395.  401, 
407,  424-425,  427,  432,  436-437, 
440-443,  449,  454.  459,  470,  474, 
483,  499.  502-503.  509,  511-515, 

554.  571 
Hudson  steamboats,  126 
Hughes,    Mother    Stiperior  Mary 

Angela,  196 
Huguenots,  427,  452.  454,  469,  470. 

473 

Hulls,  Jonathan,  119 

Humphreys,  Colonel,  173 

Hunter,  Colonel,  476 

Hunter,  Governor,  474 

Hunters  Reach,  114 

Hurlburt,  Colonel,  235-236 

Hurley,  456 

Huron  Indians.  425 

Huyler's  Landing,  198 

Huzzard,  French  warship,  51 

Hyde  Park,  253,  432,  476,  484-485 

I 

Idlewild,  260,  285,  393,  395-397. 
401 

Ind.  farthest,  2 

Indian  Head,  98,  201 

Indian  lands,  489,  490 

Indian  Pass,  288,  551 

Indian  seas  and  Captain  Kidd,  69 

Indian  troubles,  450,  491 

Indian  wars,  459 

Indians,  2 


Indigo  silvestris,  18 
Infanta  Isabel,  Spanish  warship,  51 
Intercollegiate  Rowing  Association, 
429 

Interstate  Park  Commissioners,  415 

Inwood,  156 

lona  Island,  320 

Iro(iuois  Indians,  510 

Irving,  Ebenezer,  266 

Irving  Institute,  the,  245 

Irving,  Peter,  252 

Irving,  Washington,  20,  114,  137, 
188,  237,  239,  240,  243-246,  250- 
253,  255,  261,  262,  266,  269,  305, 
321,  329,  337,  389,  484.  499,  501, 
509, 511, 567 

Irvington,  231,  245 

J 

Jackson,  Francis  Jones,  143 
Jackson,  "Stonewall,"  372 
James,  Colonel,  290 
Jamestown,  516 
Jans,  Anneke,  60 
Jansen,  Roeloff,  59 
Janss,  Susanna  (Claessen) ,  15 
Janvier,  Thomas  A.,  62 
Japan,  5 

Jauncey,  James,  61,  62 

Jay,  John, 30, 31, 95,  331,  332,  457- 

458,  460,  533 
Jay  family,  476 
Jenkins,  Benjamin,  504 
Jenkins,  Elisha,  544-546 
Jenkins,  Lemuel,  504 
Jenkins.  Marshal,  504 
Jenkins,  Seth,  504 
Jenkins,  Thomas,  504 
Jersey  Battery,  168 
Jersey  City,  72 
Jersey,  prison-ship,  428 
John  Jay,  steamboat,  291 
Johnson,  Colonel  Guy,  539 
Johnson,  General  Joseph,  372 
Johnson,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  305 
Johnson,  Rev.,  526 
Johnson,  S.  C.  M.,  312 
Johnson,   Sir  William,   552,  558- 

559.  560 
Johnson  family,  539,  560 
Johnston,  Professor  Henry  P.,  175 
Johnston  Street,  Albany,  531 
Jones.  Nicholas,  176 
Juet,  Master,  194 
Jumel,  151 

Jumel  mansion,  151,  175,  207 


Index 


K 

Kaatskill,  345,  346,  350-351,  507 
Kaatskill  (Kaatsbergs)  Mountains, 

346,  350,  351-352,  499 
Kahn,  the  Swedish  traveller.  353 
Kakiat,  211 

Kane,  Commander,  U.S.N.,  50 
Kane,  James,  545 
Kane,  Woodbury,  50 
Kasteel,  515 

Kellogg,  Clara  Louise,  385 

Kemble,  Fanny,  385 

Kemble,  Gertrude,  252 

Kemble,  Gouverneur,  250,  252,  262 

Kemble,  Peter,  250 

Kemp,  Professor,  251 

Kennedy,  Archibald,  31,  32 

Kennedy  house,  32 

Kent,  Chancellor,  256,  262 

Kent,  James,  546 

Kerse,    Major,    Quartermaster  at 

Stony  Point,  298 
Kidd,  Captain  William,  69,  321, 

421 

Kidd's  Rock,  421 

Kieft,  William,  15,  35,  489,  500, 
501,513 

Kinderhook  (Kinderhoeck) ,  13,  14, 
249,  287,  509 

Kinderhook  Creek.  509 

Kinderhook  Reach,  114 

King  Charles,  jockey,  432 

King,  Colonel,  47 

King  Street,  Albany,  528 

King's  College,  148 

Kingsbridge,  11,  165,  181,  185,  186, 
^.195'  232,  337,  345,  479 

Kingsbridge  Road,  155,  176 

Kingsbridge  Ferry,  298,  312 

Kingsland's  Point,  216 

Kingston,  11,  iii.  130,  337,  340, 
350.  379.  416,  426-427,  431,  433- 
434,  447,  449,  451-452,  456-460, 
462,  464-469,  470,  473,  500,  535 

Kingston  Church,  449 

Kipp,  Jacobus,  416 

Kipp's  Bay,  172,  173 

Kiskatom,  486 

Kitchawan  River,  10,  11,  206.  293, 
^294,  295 

Klauver  Rack,  507 
Knapp,  Samuel  Laurens,  76 
Knickerbocker,  535-536 
Knickerbocker,  Diedrich,  65,  253, 

265,  266,  270,  421.  433.  502,  511, 

535.536 
Knickerbocker  authors,  209 


Knickerbocker  stage  line,  63 
Knickerbockers,  20 
Knowlton,  Colonel  Thomas,  175- 
178 

Knox,  General  Henry,  27,  178,  335, 

382,  411 
Knox,  Lieutenant,  309 
Knyphausen,  General,  1S6,  189 
Kocherthall,  Rev.  Josiah,  402,  475- 

476 

Kocherthall,  Sibylla  Charlotte,  476 
Koorn,  Nicholas,  513 
Kosciusko,  Thaddeus,  385 
Kosciusco,  steamboat,  133 
Krygier,  Burgomaster,  451 

L 

Laaphawachking,  9 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  46,  47,  48, 

366,  382.  416,  427 
Lake  Champlain.  539 
Lamb,  Colonel  of  Artillery,  338 
Lamb,  Mrs.  Mather  J.,  30,  520,  522 
Land  patents,  88 
Landor,  Walter  Savage,  253 
Lands,  89 

Lansing,  Abraham,  546 
Lansing,  Chancellor.  546 
Lansingburg,  520.  550.  553 
Lathrop.  Amy.  281 
Lawrence,  John  B.,  152 
Lawrence  mansion,  179 
Leatherstocking,  443 
Lee,  General  Charles,  163,  164,  165, 

315,  316 
Lee,  Major  Henry,  72.  82,  232 
Lee.  General  Robert  E..  372 
Lefever  family,  456,  468 
Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow,  The,  243, 

509 

Legislature  of  New  York,  the,  426 

Legislature,  steamboat,  507 

Leitch,  Major,  178 

Lenox,  Robert,  121 

Leonard  Street,  58 

Leslie,  General,  175,  178 

Leyden.  494 

Liberty  Statue,  49 

Liberty  Street,  New  York.  318 

Li  Hung  Chang.  144 

Lincoln,  General,  228,  232 

Lind,  Jenny,  42,  45 

Lindsay's  patent,  486 

Linlithgo,  509 

Linnieus,  274 

Lisjjenard  Swamp,  60,  61 

Litchfield,  426 


Index 


Lilirary  World,  the,  271 
"  Little  Sawyer,"  the,  471 
Little  West  Tenth  Street,  57 
Livini^ston.  Brockholst,  248;  Chan- 
ei'llor  Robert  R.,  1 20-121,  125, 
460,  476-478;  Colonel  Lewis, 
483;  Eclward,  262,  459;  family, 
279,  476-477,  522;  General  Wil- 
liam, 31,1  S5  ;  Henry.  476 ;  house, 
27,  229;  Janet,  460;  John,  31, 
95;  John  R.,  250;  John  Swift, 
478;  Judge  Robert  R...  351,  458, 
473.477-479;  Kitty,  31;  manor, 
92,  122,  351,  476-477;  Peter  R., 
331;  Phifip,  35,  476,  523,  538- 
539 ;  Robert,  95-96.  477-  527. 
533;  Upper  Manor  house,  351; 
Van  Brugh,  226,  229;  William, 
366,  476 

Livingston's  regiment  at  Saratoga, 

Lockerman,  Govert,  513-514 
Locust  Grove,  427-428 
Logan,  John,  274 
Long  Clove  Road,  the,  298 
Long  Island.  331,  416 
Long  Island,  battle  of,  171 
Lords  States-General,  5,  512-514 
Lossing,  Benson  J.,  78,  81 ,  140,  188, 

193,  266,  285,  294,  462,  478 
Louvre,  the,  468 
Love  Lane,  62 

Lovelace,  Governor,  402,  447,  459, 
476 

Loverage  Patent,  486 
Low,  Cornelius  P.,  207 
Low,  Seth,  147 
Low  Memorial  Lil)rary,  147 
Low  Point,  418 
Luddington,  Colonel,  232 
Ludlow,  198 
Luke,  Sir  Samuel,  510 
Lundcnwald,  509 
Lunenburg,  507 
Luzerne  Mountains,  508 
Lydius,  Balthazar,  530,  531 
Lvdius,   Domine   John,  226,  531, 
^568 

Lydius  Street,  227,  531 
Lynch,  Mrs.,  47 
Lyndhurst,  231 
Lyon  family,  105 


M 


Mabie,  Hamilton  W..  285 
Mackenzie,  Alex.  Slidell,  2 


Macready,  196 

Mag^w,  Colonel  R()l)ert,  184,  186, 
187,  188,  190 

Magazine  of  American  History,  50 

Mahak-Neminaw,  490 

Maiden  Lane,  New  York,  458 

Maiden,  N.  Y.,  133,  424 

Manctta  Brook,  61 

Manhattan  (Manhattans,  Manhat- 
ton,  Manhattes,  Manhates,  etc.), 
2,  5.  II,  12,  13,  15,  24,  36,  38.  40, 
52,  72,  87,  89,  108,  III,  156,  184, 
185,  193,  194,  215,  331,  345 

Manhattan,  418,  436,  490 

Manhattan,  first  white  child  born, 
64 

Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany Building,  38 

Manhattan  shore,  59 

Manhattan  the  home  of  modesty, 
54.  64,  81 

Manhattanville,  151,  152,  155,  175, 
176 

Manor  Lords,  87 

Manor  of  Foxhall,  447 

Manorial  rights  granted,  96 

Mapt'S,  General,  47 

Marl)letown,  457,  470 

Marie  Roget  (Mary  Rogers) .  80 

Market  Dock,  104 

Marriages  in  New  York,  25 

Marritje,  Davids  Vly,  140 

Martha's  Vineyard,  503 

Martiler's  Rock.  346 

Martin,  Sir  Henry,  107 

Martlings,  Abraham,  140 

Maryland,  436 

Mather,  Frederick  G.,  541 

Mathew.  General,  189 

Mathias,  Parson,  242,  243 

Mat Icawan,  4 1 7 

M iitlcoioan,  steamer,  50 

.MaiH'itius,  13 

Maxwell.  Col.  W.  H..  47 

MeCall,  Dick,  252 

McClellan,  General  Geo.  B.,  372 

McCoy,  John,  319 

McCrca.  Jennie.  569 

McDdU^all,  (uiuTal,  332,  335 

McEvrrs,  Miss.  250 

Mc(  j<  iw  an's  Pass,  27 

Meeki  |uaski(.-h.  10 

Megapolensis,  Rev.  J.,  444,  526- 

527.  548 
Meigs,  Colonel,  309 
Mercer,  General,  189 
Merrick.  William,  107 
Mcrwin,  Jesse.  509-510 


Index 


583 


Mesabawasin.  3Q8 
Mexico,  i 

M iiDit.'ih'iihih,  monitor,  51 
Michielscn,  Andries,  23 
Middle  Dutch  Church,  35 
Mifflin,  General  Thomas,  170 
Military  Academy,  the,  370-371, 

378. 3S3 
Militia,  the,  335 
Milton,  horse-boat,  the,  428 
Minesecongo  Creek,  298 
Mingua,  443 
Minnerly,  "  Sherd,"  286 
Minnesinks,  443 
Minuit,  Peter,  1 1 
Moeneminnes  Castle,  519 
Mohawk  Indians,  73,  443,  473,  488, 

401,  501 ,  539,  559,  560 
Mohawk  River,  355,  443,  551.  554 
AIoliaiL'k,  steamer,  50 
Mohegan  Castle,  10 
Mohegan  Indians,  425,  443,  473, 

488-489,  pro 
Molly  Grietje,  533 
Monmouth,  304 
Montague,  Johannes  de  la,  501 
MfMitgi  )mery.  General  Richard,  460, 

47(,,   4S0;  483,  486,  539;  Mrs. 

Janet,  250,  479,  483,  484;  estate, 

483 ;  house,  484 
Montrose  Point,  304 
Monument  Lane,  62 
Moodna   (Murderer's)  Creek,  346, 

401,  449,  456,  471,  515 
Moore,  Clement  C,  63 
Moore,  Governor  Sir  Henry,  344 
Moore,  President  of  Columloia,  63 
Moregead,  107 
Morey,  inventor,  120 
Morgan's  Rifles,  561,  563-565,  567 
Morningside  Heights,  175 
Morris,  Colonel   Roger,   148,  151, 

189,  207,  366,  369 
Morris,  Colonel  Staats  Long,  352 
Morris,   General  George   P.,  253, 

266,  269 
Morris,  Gouverneur,  331,  458 
Morris,  Robert,  411 
Morris,  William  P.,  382 
Morse,  Professor  Samuel  F.  B.,  427 
Morton,  General,  47 
Mount  Ida,  550 
Mount  Mclntyre,  551 
Mount  Olympus,  550 
Mount  St.  Vincent,  165,  196 
Mount  Tahawas,  551 
Mount  Taurus,  357 
Mount  Vernon,  8 


Mount  Washington,  156,  181,  186, 

189,  329 
Murdock  family,  401 
Murfec,  Major,  309,  310 
Murray  Hill,  174 
Murray  Street,  58 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Building,  35 

N 

Nantucket,  503,  553 
Naoman,  Indian,  401 
Napoleon,  469 
Nappeckamack,  10,  202 
Nassau,  or  Nassou,  14 
Nassau  Street,  New  York,  35 
National  Academy,  the,  281 
National  Guard,  the,  319 
Naval  Academy,  the,  375 
Navigators,    Dutch   and  English, 
107 

Negogouse,  519 

Nepperhan,  9,  10,  207 

Nesbitt,  inventor,  478 

Netherlands,  17,  88 

Nevius,  Johannes,  455 

New  Amsterdam,  11,  65,  66,  96, 

106,  112,  195,  449,  451.  500—502, 

512,  515,  520 
New  AiTisterdam  Bouwcries.  17 
New  Baltimore,  510 
Newburgh,  27,  106,  168,  272,  274, 

349,  402,  405-406,  408,  411-412, 

414,  416,  488,  560 
New  City,  224 
New  England,  406,  408,  429 
New  Forest,  402 
New  Hamburg,  418 
New  Hampshire,  565-566 
New  Haven,  501 

New  Jersey,  52,  72,  160,  163,  228, 

315,  406,  411,  415,  420 
Newkirk  family.  488 
New  Netherlands,  i,  6,  15,  17,  24, 

66,  73,  88,  89,  502,  516,  519 
New  Paltz,  452,  454,  469,  470 
Newton,  476 

New  Windsor,  170,  306,  :;46,  405, 
461 

New  World,  steamboat,  129 

New  Year's  customs,  53:5 

New  York,  City,  22,  26,'  27,  28.  37, 
38,  40,  46,  47,  48,  51,  52.  54,  57, 
59,  60,  62,  63,  64,  65,  74,  77,  80, 
82,  92,  103,  105,  III,  112,  114, 
125,  126,  160,  171,  172,  173,  1S5, 
239.  273,  290,  291.  203,  331,  336, 
337-  349. 35O' 353-354.  416,  458- 


5  ^^4 


Index 


New  York,  City — Continued 

459.  466,  470,  476,  4S4,  503-504, 
523,  561  ;  Historical  Society,  265, 
271;  Public  Library,  424;  State, 
415.  417,  427,  436,  449,  458,  499, 
526,  528;  State  Camp.  313;  State 
Fair.  427;  troo])s,  565,  566 

Niao^ara,  456 

Niciioll,  Governor,  486 

Nichols  family,  522 

Nieuw  Dorp.  457 

Nipnichsen,  10,  194 

Norman's  Kill,  5 1 5 

North  Bav,  122 

North  Castle.  187 

North  German  Lloyd  boats.  81 

North,  Lord,  41 1 

North  Market  Street.  Albanv,  538 
North  Pearl  Street.  Albany,'  530 
North  River,  the,  5,  15,  57.  168, 

174,  176,  185,  346.  352.  516 
Xortli  River,  steamboat,  128 
Nucella  Street,  Albany.  531 
Nyack,   112,  218,   219,   220,  224, 

327.  438 

O 

Oath    of    office    administered  to 

Washington,  120 
Obelisk  Lane  (Greenwich).  62 
Ocean  Steamship  Company  piers, 

60 

O'Connor,  Charles,  156 

Ogden,  Henry,  252 

Old  Dutch  Church,  Sleepy  Hollow, 

23.  239 
OloiJe  the  Dreamer.  65,  66 
Oothoudts.  488 
Orange  County,  345,  346,  405 
Orange,  N.  J.,  172 
Order    disbanding  Washington's 

army,  414 
Ormsbee,  120 

Ossining,  10,  224,  289,  293,  439 
Osterhout  family,  456 
Otego,  344,  346 
Otsego,  349 

Ouselsticker,  Skipper,  322 
Overbaghs,  488 
Oyster  Battery,  168 

P 

Paas  and  Pinxter,  67 
Pacham,  Pachami.  13,  16 
Palatinate,  474 


Palatines,  402,  472-475,  477,  494 
Palisades,  9,   114,   139,   191,  196, 

197,  198,  201,  21 1,  223,  415;  Park, 

415 

Palmer  &  Peters's  stages,  63 
Palmer,  Lieutenant  Edmund,  the 

spy,  317,  336 

Papin,  inventor,  119 
Papuinemen,  10,  193,  194,  206 
Paragon,  steamboat,  128 
Park  Row  Building.  38 
Pasture,  the  Albany,  527 
Patentees,  87 

Patroons,  87,  89,  90,  91,  96,352; 

of  Rensselaerswyck,  501 
Patroons'  ships,  88,  90,  107 
Paulding  family,  the,  239 
Paulding.  General  William,  231 
Paulding,  James  Kirkc,  231,  240, 

242,  246,  250,  252,  262,  484-485 
Paulding,  John,  236,  314,  318 
Paulus  Hook,  82.  112,  337 
Paulus  Hook  Ferry,  58,  72.  344- 

345 

Pavonia,  15,  16,  17.  520 

Peak,  John.  3  13 

Pearl  Street.  Albany,  528,  531 

Peekskill,  10.   105,  187,  282,  304, 

313-315,  317-318.  320.  332.  337, 

338 

Peekskill  Bay,  320.  332 
Peekskill  Creek,  297 
Pemberton,  General.  372 
Pendleton,  Hamilton's  second,  76, 
77 

Pennsylvania,  60,  402,  406.  499 
Pennsylvania  soldiers.  82,  189 
Peploep's  Kill.  337 
Pequod,  Indians,  425;  lover,  425- 
426 

Percy,  Lord,  186,  189 

Perier,  inventor.  119 
I  Perry.  Commander  Matthew  Gal- 
j      braith,  237 

Perseverance,  steamboat.  128 

Petanoch,  519 

Philadel])hia,  304 

Philadelphia  and  Reading  terminal. 
65,  429 

Philadelphia,  removal  of  Govern- 
ment to,  30 
Philadel phia,  steamship,  51 
Philips,  528;  Constantia,  243;  Fred- 
erick, 366;  General,  at  Saratoga, 
563;  manor-house,  206.  207,  208, 
219;  Margaret,  366;  Mary,  151, 
207,366,  369;  Philip,  366,  369; 
Susannah,  366 ; 


Index 


585 


Philipse,  95,  208;  Adolphus,  365- 
366;  family,  290;  house  at  Yon- 
kers,  366;  house  in  Highlands, 
250,  345;  patent  (knver) ,  91; 
(upper)  ,^  365 

Philipsburg,  366 

Phosnix,  ship  of  war,  183,  329,  330 
Phcenix,  steamboat,  79 
Pickering,  Henry,  272 
Piermont,  112,  130,  211,  219,  436 
Pine  Street  and  Damen's  farm,  35 
Placentia,  484 

Place  of  the  Bark  Kettle,  226 

Planck  family,  488 

Playsier  Reach  ,114 

Pleasant  Valley.  81 

Plymouth  and  the  Pilgrims,  450 

Pocantico,  10,  216,  231,  239,  240 

Pockhantes,  10 

Poe,  Edgar  Allen,  79,  80 

Poestenkill,  551 

Point-no-Point,  106,  216,  221,  229, 
301 

Polk,  James  K.,  278 

Polopel's  Island,  322,346,390,393, 

401 ,  422 
Ponckhockie,  450 
Poor,  General,  565 
Posey,  Major,  309 
Post  Road,  at  Greenwich,  62 
Potter,  Orlando,  152 
Poughkeepsie,  91,   278,  285,  328, 

416-422,  424-428,  430,  436 
Poughkeepsie  Academy,  255 
Poughkeepsie  Bridge,  428-429 
Poughkeepsie    Collegiate  School, 

421 

Poughkeepsing,  349 
Prescott,  269 
Prime,  Edward  D.,  282 
Prime,  Nathaniel  Scudder,  282 
Prime,  Samuel  Irenjeus,  282 
Prime,  Rev.  Wendell,  D.D.,  209 
Prime,  AVilliam  C.,  282 
Prince  of  Orange,  514 
Prince  of  Wales's  visit  to  America, 
130 

Produce  Exchange  Building,  39 
Prospect  Hill,  Albany,  547 
Prospect  Hill.  Hudson,  508 
Providence,  R.  I.,  503 
Provincial  Congress,  331,431 
Provincial  Legislature,  460 
Provost,  Theodosia,  217 
Putnam  County,  gi 
Putnam,  Colonel  Rufus,  167 
Putnam,  General  Israel,   119,  168, 
169,  170,  172,  173,  174,  177,  178, 


182,  183,  187,  188,  189,  314,  330, 
.vv^-  ,S36,  338,  339,  340,  379,  461, 

5/") 

Piil}uini\s  Moitllily,  270 

g 

Quebec,  480,  539 
Queen  Anne,  402,  474 

R 

Ramapo  Hills,  82,  217 
Rangers,  Knowlton's,  175,  176,  177, 
i78_ 

Rapelje,  Rem,  64 
Rawhngs,  188 
Read,  Nathan,  1 19 
Red  Jacket,  43 1 

Reed,  Adjutant-General,  177,  178 
Reidesel,  Baron  de,  563-564 
Reindeer,  steamboat,  133 
Remonstrance  of  colonists,  87 
Rensselaer  County,  550 
Rensselaerswyck,    11,  13,   15,  18, 
352,  354,  490.  502,  516,  519, 

543.  521-522 
Rensselaerswyck,  Patroon  of,  87,  92 
Rensselaerstein,  512-514 
Renwick,  James,  250,  251 
Requa,  Captain  Samuel,  105 
Revolution,  the,  72,  277,  280,  290, 

378,  406,  414,  426,  427,  456,  458, 

496,  53^^  542 
Rhinebeck,  13,  92,  278,  464,  467, 

479 

Rhode  Island.  553 
Richmond  Hill,  174,  366,  369 
Richmond    Hill,   sle^imboat,  128, 
483 

Ridgway,  William,  344 

Ridley,  Mrs.  Catherine,  31 

Ridley,  Matthew,  31 

Rijckman,  Albert,  528 

Ritzemcr.  Domine,  24 

River  craft  and  passengers,  1 1  5 

Riverdale,  133,  198 

Riverside  Park  and  Drive,  52,  139, 

140,  143,  144,  151 
River  view  Academy,  the,  422 
Rivington' s  Gazette,  86 
Roa  Hook,  319 
Roberts,  Elhs  IL,  476 
Robinson,  Beverly,  366,  369,  380 
Robinson  house,  the,  297 
Rochambeau,  228.  316.  411 
Rockefeller,  William,  237 
Rockland  County,  N.  Y.,  219 


586 


Index 


Rockland  Lake.  104,  22  t 

Rockland  Point,  221 

R(Kk\vdl.  Rev.  Charles,  28.S 

Roe,  Rev.  K.  P..  ,:;q,^ 

/\orhuck\  British  warshi]).  18^ 

R(K>leff  j  an  sen's  Ivill.  477 

Rogers.  Archibald,  50 

Rogers,  Mary  (Marie  Roget),  70,  So 

Rogers,  Moses,  35 

Romboiit,  Francis,  416 

Rondout,  I  r,  Qi,  443-444.  450.  45-^- 

450.  4<^ 3.  467-468 
Rondout  Creek,  467 
Rose,  British  warship,  329,  330 
Rosendalc  Creek,  470 
Rotterdam.  501 
Round  Rock,  558 
Royalists,  168 
Rumsey,  James,  119,  120 

S 

Sacandaga  River,  551 

Sachus  Indians,  313 

Sackhoes,  10 

Salisbury,  352 

Salisbury,  Francis,  487 

Salisbury,  Silvester,  486 

Salmagundi  Pa]>rrs,  the,  252,  253 

Sam  S/'Uiii.  steanil Hjat,  50 

Sand\-  1^)1  ach.  306 

Sapokanican,  61 

Sarah's  Point,  296 

Saratoga,  408,  460,  539,  551-554, 

558-559,  568,  570 
Saratoga  Lake,  554 
Saugerties,  273,  450,  470-472,  475- 

.  476,  503,  535 
Savannah ,  steamer,  74 
Sawyer's  Creek,  |4().  470 
Sayings  of  I)i>clor  Biishwacker,  TJic, 
270 

Scanncll's  regiment  at  Saratoga, 
563 

Scarborough,  224,  289 
Schaets,  Rev.  Gideon,  526,  531 
Schenectady,  354-355 
Schermerhorn,  boy  prisoner,  493 
Schodack,  5 10 
Schoharie,  351-352 
Schoolcraft,  Henry  Rowe,  273,  289, 
544 

Schoonmaker,  444,  456 
Schoonmaker  house  at  Kingston, 
463 

Schroon,  R.,  551 
Schuneman,  488,  494 
Schuyler,  534 


Schuyler,  Arent,  31 
Schuyler,  Catherine,  54 t 
Schuyler,  David,  528 
Schuyler,  Elizabeth,  542 
Schuyler  family,  91,  95,  476,  522 
Schuyler,  General  Philip,  353,  431- 

432,  +80,  526, 528,  538-539,  540- 

541.  547.  559,  560,  562 
Schuyler  house,  530 
Schuyler  houses.  530 
Schuyler,  Mar^^art  t,  541 
Schuyler,  Mrs.  I'hili]).  54  r 
Schuyler,  Peter,  3  1 
Schuylersville,  530,  560,  562 
Scotoc  Island,  353 
Scott,  458 

Scott,  General  Winfield,  371,  382 

Scutters  1  sland,  352 

Seaw  ant  (w  amjiimi) ,  449,  538 

Seine,  rix'cr,  the,  80,  121 

Selden,  Captain,  310 

Semcsseeck,  5  19 

Senasqua,  10,  295 

Senate  house  at  Kingston,  415,  457, 

460,  463,  469 
Senate,    Unitecl    States,  presided 

()\-cr  bv  Burr,  78 
Seylmaker's  Reach,  1  14,  320 
Shad  fisheries,  436-438 
Shady  side,  81,  82 
Shanghai-ing,  57 
Sharon,  Conn.,  426 
Shatcnnu'.  () 

Shawangunk  Mountains,  454,  470 
Sheldon,  Colonel,  235 
Sheldon,  Doctor  Daniel,  311 
Sherbrooke,  Sir  John,  483 
Sherman,  General  Tecumseh,  372 
Shoraskappock,  9,  10 
Sibyl's  Cave,  78 

Siede  at  Jenny  Lind  concert,  42 
Sill,  Richard,  312 
Sinehur,  Miss,  195 
Sing  Sing,  10,  289,  290,  293,  301 
Sirham,  Sachem.  313 
Skencsboroti'^h ,  ^()2 
Skclrh-/:,:^L-.'  Thr.  245 
Skinner,  Cliarles  M..  358 
Slaan^^e  Kh] )]  >c.  425 
Slaperig  Uafen,  211 
Sleepy  Hollow,  23,  137,  239,  243, 
244,  286 

Sleepy  Hollow  Cemetery,  249,  271 
Sloops  on  ihe  Hudson,  116 
Smacls  's  I  sland,  5  1 1 
Smith,  historian  of  New  York,  24 
Smith,  Joshua  Hett,  297,  298 
Smith  Patent,  the,  344 


Index 


587 


Snyder,  Elias.  493 
Snyder,  Cai)lain  Jeremiah,  492-493 
Somerindyke,  Jacob  and  Tennis,  62 
Soiuers,  briJ^^  237 

Sons  of  American  Revolution,  228 
Sopus,  340,  35  ' 
Sopus  Kill,  35  I 
Southam])t()n  Road,  62 
South  Ri\-er,  107 
South  wick,  Solomon,  546 
Si)anisli  forts  and  iia\-y,  5  r 
Spanish  Main  and  C'ai)tain  Kidd,  69 
S parroiL'grass  / \i pcr.s ,  Tlu\  269,  270 
Spencer,  Ambrose,  546 
Spencer,  General,  168,     172,  173, 
177 

Spencer's  Hill,  169 

Spencer's  Redoubt,  168 

Springsteel  house,  306 

Spuyten  Duyvil,  9,  10,  156,  184, 

194,  195,  198,  206,  208,  211,  212, 

227,  330,  345 
Stamp  Act,  the,  479 
Stanton,  Thomas,  130 
Stanwix  Hall,  538 
State  Capitol,  547,  548 
State  Legislature,  462,  465 
State  Library,  548 
State  Normal  School,  424,  455 
State  Prison,  57 
State  Records,  548 
State  Street,  Albany,  527,  530,  538, 

543-544.  547.  5  53 
Staten  Island,  46,  52,  i6g,  331 
States- General,  the,  17,  96,  455,  522 
Sterling,  Lord,  Brigadier-General, 

166 

Steuben,  Baron,  304,  411,  416 
Stevens,  Colonel  John,  58,  73,  74, 

81,  103,  478 
Stevens  family,  74 
Stewart,  Rev.  Abel  T.,  239 
Stewart,  Major,  309 
St.  Lawrence  River,  561 
St.  Leger,  562 
St.  Luke's  Hospital,  148 
St.  Nicholas,  533 
Stone,  AVilliam  1^.,  552,  554 
Stone,  Colonel  William  Lcete,  256, 

490.  495 

Stony  Point,  187,  297,  298,  304-306, 

31'!.  312,  320,  339,  415 
Storm,  Captain  Jacob,  105 
Storm  King,  261,  285,  357,  386,  393 
Storm-ship,  the.  215 
Stowe,  Mrs.  H.  B.,  430 
St.  Paul  Building,  New  York,  38 
St.  Paul's  Church,  58,  484 


Street,  Alfred  B.,  210,  278,  279 
Streets  of  Allmny,  527,  538 
Stringer,  Doctor,  356,  559 
Strope  family,  493 
Stuyvesant,  Peter,  35,  96,  195,  206, 

361,  421,  450,  451,  459,  490,  502, 

521 

Stuyvesant  Village,  509 
Sugar  Loaf,  i  r6,  3 58,  366 
Sugar  House  Prison,  318 
Sullivan,  General,  166 
Sunday  Islands,  352 
Sunny  side,  239,  241,  244,  248,  262 
Supreme  Court,  New  York,  466 
Susquehannah  River,  the,  346,  349, 

352,  493 
Sivallow,  steamboat,  130 
Swartwout  family,  444 

T 

Talmadge,  Nathaniel  P.,  427 
Tappan,  14,  218,  2rg,  345 
Tappan,  Cornelia,  460 
Tappans,  13 

Tappan  Zee,  104,  114,  137 ,  21 i , 215, 
216,  217,  221,  241,  244,  246,  286, 
326,  328,  329 

Tarrytown,  to,  105,  137,  140,  206, 
207,  217,  218,  220,  224,  231,  232, 
236,  237,  239,  244,  245,  271,  285, 
286,  2S0,  318,  326,  338,  421 

Tarliir,  shi]:)  of  war,  183 

Taylor,  Bayard,  42 

Taylor,  John,  544-546 

Taylors\'ille,  r()8 

TcacluTs  Ci  illcge,  148 

Tear  of  tlic  Clouds,  551 

Teed,  Royalist  family,  318 

Telegraph,  steamboat,  133 

Teller,  Sarah,  295,  296 

Teller's  Point,  297 

Tenants  and  patc-ntees,  87 

Ten  Br('cclx,  Jaeomyntie.  457-458 

Ten  Brocek,  W'csscl,  457-458,  469, 
528 

Ten  Broeck  family,  444 
Teunise,  Gerrit,  528 
Teunissen,  Aert,  15 
Thackeray,  William  M.,  270 
Thayer  Hall,  377 

Thayer,  Major  Sylvanus,  371,  372 
Thayer,  Stephen  Henry,  286 
Tilden,  Samuel  J..  209,  424 
Tillotson,  Thomas,  546 
Tivoli,  432,  464,  476-479 
Tivoli  and  the  Clermont,  122 


588 


Index 


Tdnipkins,    Governor    Daniel  D., 

523.  546 
Tontine  Hotel,  35 
Torrey,  Bradford,  2S6,  394 
Tory  marauders.  82 
Tract  Society  Building,  New  York, 

Travis,  James  B.,  105 
Travis,  John  L.,  105 
Trevorre.  William,  108 
Tributaries  to  the  Hudson,  551 
Trojan,  steamboat,  130 
Trinity  Cemetery,  155 
Trinity  Church,  39,  58,  60 
Troy,  92,  438,  520,  550,  55  £,  553 
Troy  dam,  438 

Tryon,  Governor  William,  165,  166, 

317.  539 
Tugboats,  100 
Turtle  Bay,  172,  173 
Tyler,  John,  427 

U 

Ulster  County,  346,  350,  407,  443- 
444,  449.  455-456.  459.  467,  470- 
471 

Ulster  Indians,  451 
Ulster  regiments,  475 
Uncas,  425 
Underchff,  386 
Underbill,  Doctor,  296 
Union  Bridge  Company,  429 
United  States,  53 

United  States  Government,  41,  78, 
551 

United  States  standing  army,  378 
Upper  Red  Hook,  478 

V 

Vale  of  Avoca,  412 
Valley  Forge,  304 
Vamoose,  52 
Van  Allen,  528 

Van  Amsterdam,  Jan  Peter,  536 

Van  Arsdale,  John,  28 

Van  Bergen  house,  488 

Van  Bergen,  Martin,  495 

Van  Buren,  Martin,  208,  249,  277, 

509.  510 
Van  Corlaer,  Anthony,  193,  358 
Van  Cortlandt  family,  295,  522 
Van  Cortlandt  house,  294-295 
Van  Cortlandt,  John,  294 
Van  Cortlandt  Manor,  95,  365 
Van  Cortlandt,  Oloff,  95,  206 
Van  Cortlandt,  Philip,  317 


Van  Cortlandt,  Pierre,  163,  232, 
317.  326,  458 

Van  Cortlandt  regiment  at  Sara- 
toga, 563 

Van  Cortlandt,  Stephen,  416 

Van  Dam,  Rambout,  21 1-2  12 

Vanderbilt,  Commodore,  105 

Vanderbilt,  Jacob,  133 

Vander  Donck,  Adrian,  203,  206, 
208,  501,  502,  529 

Vander  Heyden,  Antony,  390,  ^29, 
550 

Vander  Ilcyden  family,  530 

Vanderlyn,  John,  468,  500 

Vanderscamp,  Jan  Jost,  68-72 

Van  Driessen,  526 

Van  Dyke,  Henry,  528,  534 

Van  Epps,  528 

Van  Gaasbeek  family,  444 

Van  Gaasbeek,  Lauren tius,  457,  469 

Van  Gieson,  Domine.  325 

Van  Horne,  Garret,  66-67 

Van  Kleeck,  Baltus,  426 

Van  Loan,  Peter,  432 

Van  Ness,  Abraham,  61 

Van  Ness,  Judge  William  P.,  75-76, 

249,  509,  528 
Van  Orden,  488 

Van  Rensselaer,  193,  202;  Cath- 
erine, 523;  Colonel  John,  353, 
483;  colony,  97;  estate,  523, 
543;  family,  526;  Harriet,  524; 
Jan  Baptist,  522;  Johannes,  522; 
KiHan,  489,  490,  511-514,  519- 
521,  524,  550;  Madame,  524-525; 
manor-house,  523  ;  Patent,  92,  96; 
Patroon,  554;  Solomon,  524,  544- 
545;  Stephen,  59,  354,  459,  522, 
523 

Van  Santvoord,  Doctor,  458-459 
Van  Santvoord,  Harrold,  287,  510 
Van  Schaick,  John,  545 
Van  Schie,  526,  531 
Van  Slechtenhorst,  489,  501-502, 
52 1-522 

Van  Slyck,  Cornelius  Antonissen, 
489 

Van  Slyk,  528 

Van  Tassel  farmhouse,  140 

Van  Tienhoven,  Secretary,  87,96,98 

Van  Twiller  (Walter  the  Doubter), 

66,  5 1 1-5 13 
Van  Vechten,  Abraham,  546 
Van  Vechten  (Vecthe) ,  352,  459, 

488 

Van  Voorst,  528 

Van  Wart,  Isaac,  236,  245 

Vassar  College,  422-424 


Index 


589 


Vassar,  Matthew,  422-423 

Vaste  Reach,  1 14 

Vastic  Island,  352 

Vaui^hn,  General,    340,  350.  428, 

460.  463,  465,  477 
Vauxhall  Gardens,  57,  58,  61 
Verdrietegh  Hoeck,  202 
Vermilye,  Captain,  105 
Verplanck,  Gulian,    35,   253,  261, 

262,  266,  416 
Verplanck  house,  416 
Verplanck's  Point,  297,  298,  304, 

305-  31 1'  316,  320,  335,  336,  338 
Verrazani,  2 

Vesuvius,  dynamite  boat,  51 
Vice-President's   house  at  Staten 

Island,  46 
Virginian  troops,  178 
Vischershoeck,  13 
Vorsen  Reach,  1 14 
Voyage  up  the  Hudson,  W.  Irving, 

115 

I  ulture,  the,  296-298 
W 

Walkill,  350,  452,  454-455,  470,  473 
Wall  Street  on  evacuation  of  New 

York,  27 
Wallace,  Sir  James,  340,  461 
Walloonsac  River,  551 
Walter  the  Doubter  \Van  Twiller) , 

66,  511,  512,  513 
Wanton  Island,  488 
Wappinger  Indians,  16,  416 
Wappinger's  Creek,  91,  418 
War  for  Independence,  22,  32,  112, 

229,  313,  326,  380,  543 
War  with  England,  371;  of  181 2, 

523 

War  vessels,  5 1 

Ward,  Moses,  291 

Waronawanka  Indians,  13 

Warner,  Anna  B.,  280-282 

Warner,  Henry,  280 

Warner,  Susan,  280-282 

Warner  Sisters,  380 

Warren,  Admiral  Peter,  61 

Warren  Street,  New  York,  and 
Vauxhall,  57,  59 

Warren  County,  571 

Warren  Road,  62 

Washington,  Augustine,  191 

Washington,  General  George,  26, 
27,32,82,  120,  163,  167,  170,  171, 
177,  178,  182,  183,  184.  185,  186, 
187,  188,  190,  191,  192,  228,  229, 
237,  305,  306,  311,  313,  315,  316, 


33i<  332,  335.  366,  369,  370,  375, 

379'  3'"^ '  -  405-406,  408,  412,  414, 

417,  560-561 
Washington  headquarters,  140,  151, 

if)S.  172.  173.  228,  272,  414,  415 
Washington  Heights,  155 
Washington  1  lotel,  32 
Wasliington,  house  huWt  for,  30 
Washington,  Martha,  460 
Washington  Sfjuare,  61 
Waterbury  Battery,  169 
Waterford,  554 
Watervliet,  55  i 
Water  IViteli,  steamboat,  130 
Watts  family,  522 
Watts,  John,  31 

Wayne,  "General  Anthony,"  82, 
86,  304-306,  311,  312,  335,  411, 
415. 

Wayside  Inn,  314 

Webb,  General  James  Watson,  237, 

241 ,  285 
Weber,  488 

Webster,  Daniel.  427;  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  305 
Wecquashqueck,  9.  202,  226 
Weehawken,  9,  74,  78,  80,  81 
Weh-awk-en,  9 

Weiser,  Captain  John  Conrad,  475 
Wells,  Lemuel,  207,  208 
Wells,  Richard,  344 
West,  Benjamin,  118 
Westbrook,  F.  E.,  469 
West  Camp,  402.  472-474,  476 
Westerloo,  Domine,  526 
Westerloo  Street,  527,  531 
West  India  Company,  i,  6,  88,  516, 
519 

West  Indies,  112;  and  Captain 
Kidd,  69 

Westchester  County,  9,  i  i,  91,  331, 

^337.  417.  457 
]]\\steliester,  steamboat,  130 
West  Point,  27,  85,  116,  281,  305, 

365-366,  371-372,  375,  379,  380- 

382,  384-385,  460 
West  Shore  Road.  429;  Terminal, 

80 

West  Street  Market.  57 

West  Tenth  Street.  57 

West  Trov,  55 1 

Wetherell',  Elizabeth.  280 

Weygat,  116 

White  House,  the.  378 

White  Plains,  170.  187.  217.  315, 

4^7-  457 
White  Plains  battle,  184.  227 
White,  Robert,  168 


590 


Index 


White  Star  Wharves,  6i 

Whitehall  Battery,  508 

Wier,  Robert,  376,  382 

Wilbur,  459;  farm  at  Saratoga,  554 

Wild  Goose  Inn,  68,  6g,  70,71 

Willard's  Mountain,  562 

Willeni  Hendrick,  fort,  21 

Willemstadt,  107,  519 

Willett,  Colonel,  332 

William  the  Testy,  514 

Williams,  David,  236 

Williams,  Captain  Daniel,  296 

Williams,  Rev.  Eleazer,  384 

Willis,  Nathaniel  P.,  116,  134,  253, 

259,  266,  269,  357,  382,  393-398 
Willow  Point,  226 
Wilson  Steamship  Line,  81 
Wilson,  General  James  Grant,  260- 

262,  270 

Wiltwyck,  444,  447,  451,  453.  456, 

459,  466,  468 
Wiltwyck  Cemetery,  469 
Winchcnback.  476 
Winedecker,  Captain  Hartman,  475 
Wing's  Falls,  570-571 
Winnakee,  425 


Win  slow,  Margaret,  458 
Wist  jiKK  lua,  9 

Wcltrrt's  Roost,  216,  244.  248 
W'oh cnliock,  431 
Woodwortli.  John,  546 
Worlil  Building,  New  York,  38 
Worth,  General  William  Jenkins, 
504 

Worth.  Gorham  A.,  530-531,  546 
W^ynant's  Kill,  551  ^ 
Wynkoop,  488 

Wyoming  Valley  (Campbell's  poem) 
Y 

Yonkers,   10,   184,   188,  202,  206, 

208,  223,  230 
Yonkers  Street,  Albany,  528,  538 
Yorktown,  26,  411 

Z 

Zaargertje,  471 
Zealand,  18,  24 


THE  MOHAWn 
VALLEY 


Its  Legends  and  its  History 

By  W.  Max  Reid.  With  Seventy  Full-page  Il- 
lustrations from  Photographs  by  J.  Arthur 
Maney.  8  .   (By  mail,  $3.80.)    .    .    Net  $3.50 

There  is  no  section  of  pleasant  valley-land,  of  lake- 
and  forest-dotted  wilderness,  of  rushing  streams  and  cul- 
tivated fields,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  that  surpasses  in 
its  wealth  of  scenery  that  bit  of  the  Empire  State  known 
as  the  Mohawk  Valley.  It  is  natural  that  such  a  land 
should  be  rich  in  romance,  both  legendary  and  historical. 
From  Schenectady  to  Rome,  every  town  has  its  romantic 
story  of  the  French  Wars  or  the  Revolution,  every  bit  of 
woodland  has  its  wealth  of  pre-historic  legend. 

Many  characters  of  national  interest  figure  i)rom- 
inently  in  this  record  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  while  war- 
like Indians,  black-robed  Jesuits,  French  officers,  and 
early  English  settlers  —  the  picturesque  ])opulation  of 
the  Valley  a  century  ago — live  again  in  its  pages.  Pho- 
tographs and  sketches  of  persons,  places,  and  events 
profusely  illustrate  the  volume  and  aid  the  imagination 
of  the  reader  who  knows  and  loves  the  Valley  of  to- 
day. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM  S  SONS 

New  YorK  London 


TKe  Romance  of  tKe 
Colorado  River 

A  Complete  Account  of  the  Discovery  and  of  the  Explor- 
ations from  1540  to  the  Present  Time,  with  Particular 
Reference  to  the  two  Voyages  of  Powell  through  the  line 
of  the  Great  Canyons. 

By  Frederick  S.  Dellenbaugh,  Member  of  the  U.  S.  Colo- 
rado River  Expedition  of  1871  and  1872,  author  of  **  North 
Americans  of  Yesterday,"  etc.  8  .  Fully  illustrated. 
Net,  $      .    By  mail,  $ 

Ever  since  the  day  of  its  discovery  by  Alar9on  in  1540,  the  Colo- 
rado River  of  the  West  has  been  of  romantic  interest.  Bound  in  for 
more  than  one  thousand  miles  of  its  course  in  the  stupendous 
canyon  which  was  and  always  will  be  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
natural  world,  it  defied  for  centuries  full  exploration.  The  first 
descent  of  Major  Powell  through  its  magnificent  gorges,  in  i86g,  and 
his  second  in  1871-72,  giving  to  the  world  a  complete  knowledge  of 
the  unknown  river,  form  together  one  of  the  most  interesting  pages 
of  our  history.  The  volume  is  well  illustrated  by  photographs, 
taken  on  the  expedition,  by  new  maps,  and  by  drawings  made  by 
the  author  and  by  others. 

TKe  Hiadson  River  from 
Ocean  to  Source 

Historical  —  Legendary  —  Picturesque.  By  Edgar  Mayhew 
Bacon,  author  of  "Chronicles  of  Tarrytown,"  etc.  8\ 
With  over  100  illustrations.   Net  $4.50.  (By  mail,  $4.80.) 

No  stream  in  America  is  so  rich  in  legends  and  historic  associa- 
tions as  the  Hudson.  From  ocean  to  source  every  mile  of  it  is 
crowded  with  the  reminders  of  the  early  explorers,  of  the  Indian 
wars,  of  the  struggle  of  the  colonies,  and  of  the  quaint,  peaceful 
village  existence  along  its  banks  in  the  early  days  of  the  Republic. 
Before  the  explorers  came,  the  river  figured  to  a  great  extent  in  the 
legendary  history  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  East.  Mr.  Bacon  is 
well  equipped  for  the  undertaking  of  a  book  of  this  sort,  and  the 
story  he  tells  is  of  national  interest.  The  volume  is  illustrated  with 
views  taken  especially  for  this  work  and  with  many  rare  old  prints 
now  first  published  in  book  form. 


New  York— G-.  P.  Putliam'S   SOIlS  —  London 


i 


I 


